Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Mmm! Toasted and sugared nuts top cream cheese frosting on sweet and spicy pumpkin cupcakes. ...MORE + LESS -

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 tablespoons sugar

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® Golden cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 container Betty Crocker® Creamy Deluxe* cream cheese frosting

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1

Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
2

In heavy 8-inch nonstick skillet, cook pecans and 2 tablespoons of the sugar over low heat about 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted. Spoon and spread pecans onto sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; toss.
3

In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about 2/3 full).
4

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
5

Frost cupcakes with frosting. Sprinkle edge of frosted cupcakes with pecans; press lightly into frosting.

Success : Use a heavy skillet, low heat and a constant eye to cook the sugar and nuts to ensure no burning. How-To : If you have only one 12-cup muffin pan, cover and refrigerate the rest of the batter while baking the first batch. Then bake the rest of the batter in the cooled muffin pan, adding 1 or 2 minutes to the bake time.