Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

For cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine vegetable oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and stir until combined. Stir in pumpkin puree and buttermilk and stir until well combined. Slowly add dry ingredients. Stir until no longer lumpy about 1 – 2 minutes.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter mixture into buttered muffin cups or paper lined muffin cups and bake 20 – 23 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, then remove from oven. Let muffins cool 5 minutes in muffin tin. Remove to a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes.

For chocolate ganache: Place chocolate chips in a medium-sized mixing bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring whipping cream just to a boil. Then remove it from the heat and pour hot cream over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.

Spoon 1 teaspoon of ganache over each cooled cupcake and spread it out to near edges, allow to cool. Meanwhile make spiced cream cheese frosting.

For spiced cream cheese frosting: In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and whip until smooth and fluffy. Pipe cream cheese frosting over cooled chocolate ganache covered cupcakes and sprinkle cupcakes with chopped pecans.