Pumpkin Spice Muffins with White Chocolate Frosting

Pumpkin spice lattes seem to be all the rage at the moment, so I decided to make the cake version. Instead of canned pumpkin puree (which in my experience isn't easily found in the UK) I used some fresh, organic homegrown pumpkin to make the puree.

Makes 12 muffin-sized cakes, or more if you use fairy cake/cupcake moulds.
250g peeled and diced fresh pumpkin
400g self-raising flour
4 tsps baking powder
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
200ml soya milk (or other plant milk)
200ml agave
150ml melted coconut oil
Frosting:
100g cacao butter
50g coconut oil
150ml agave nectar
cacao nibs and/ or ground cinnamon for sprinkling (optional)

• First make the pumpkin puree; cook the diced pumpkin in a minimal amount of water until it is soft and all the water has been absorbed (you don't want all the nutrients to be thrown away with the cooking water).
• Mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder and spices)
• In another bowl, whisk up the wet ingredients- not the pumpkin puree though.
• Beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients for about a minute, and stir in the pumpkin, mixing briefly but thoroughly.
• Spoon into prepared muffin moulds and bake in an oven preheated to 180C for about 20-25 minutes.
• While the muffins are cooking prepare the frosting: melt everything together except the sprinkles and refrigerate/ freeze until solid and creamy. The mixture will go from translucent yellow to opaque off-white. Beat well to ensure smoothness.
• When the muffins are completely cool, spoon or pipe the frosting into the centre of each one and sprinkle with cacao nibs and/ or ground cinnamon.
• Make yourself a hot drink, put your feet up and enjoy the sweet taste of Autumn...

This recipe goes to Shaheen of the awesome A2K blog- take a look at her wonderful seasonal veggie recipes !