Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Prep Time:40 Mins | Total Time:1 Hr 35 Mins | Makes:24

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

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

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

SuperMoist* Golden Cake Mix

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.

1 Cupcake: Calories 230; ( Calories from Fat 90 ); Total Fat 10g ( Saturated Fat 2g , Trans Fat 1 1/2g ) ; Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 210mg; Total Carbohydrate 34g ( Dietary Fiber 0g , Sugars 24g ); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value* : Vitamin A 35%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.