Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candy Corn Buttercream

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1 For the Cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
• 2 Beat eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 3 minutes. Add oil, hot water and pumpkin; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended.
• 3 Spoon batter into 16 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
• 4 Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out barely clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.
• 5 For the Buttercream, beat butter and salt in large bowl on medium-low speed until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed in small increments until all is added. Then beat on medium-high speed until blended. Add cream and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
• 6 Divide buttercream evenly into 3 bowls. For Sunflower Buttercream, stir 1 teaspoon of the Sunflower color into first bowl. For Pumpkin Buttercream, stir remaining 1 teaspoon Sunflower color and 1/4 teaspoon Berry color into second bowl. For White Buttercream, leave third bowl untinted.
• 7 Spoon the Sunflower Buttercream and Pumpkin Buttercream into 2 separate pastry bags each fitted with a round decorating tip. Spoon the White Buttercream into another pastry bag fitted with a star decorating tip.
• 8 To decorate the cupcakes, pipe one wide ring of Sunflower Buttercream on top of each cupcake. Pipe a smaller ring of Pumpkin Buttercream on top of the Sunflower Buttercream. Using the White Buttercream, pipe a star shape in the center of the Pumpkin Buttercream.