Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

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Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

1 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound, sifted Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
3-6 tablespoons milk
Green gel paste food coloring

Decorations

12 chocolate sandwich cookies
7 ounces marzipan
Orange gel paste food coloring
Brown gel paste food coloring

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners (12).
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat sugar and oil together until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined and scraping bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Add pumpkin and mix until incorporated.
Add flour mixture and mix on low just until combined. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl to mix in any stray flour.
Divide evenly between prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly pressed in their centers.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Prepare frosting: Beat butter and shortening until creamy and smooth. Mix in vanilla. On low speed, add sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with the milk. Once combined, increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until thick and fluffy. Adjust consistency as needed with more milk or powdered sugar.
Scoop 1/2 cup of frosting into a bowl. Tint with green food coloring. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Use a food processor to blitz the chocolate sandwich cookies into crumbs.
Frost the cupcakes. Cover with cookie crumbs.
Make the pumpkins: Tint most of the marzipan orange, kneading food coloring in until evenly distributed. Color remaining amount brown. Roll orange marzipan into small balls. Use toothpicks to make grooves in the pumpkins. Press tops down slightly in centers. For stems, roll brown marzipan into a thin rope. Cut into small sections and press into tops of the pumpkins.
Place one pumpkin onto each frosted cupcake, pressing slightly.
Make vines and leaves by piping green frosting with #2 (vine) and leaf tips. If serving on a platter, place cupcakes right next to each other and pipe a vine going from pumpkin to pumpkin to make a “patch.” If serving single cupcakes, pipe leaves only.