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1
Make the cupcakes.
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2
Position a rack in the middle of the oven.
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3
Preheat the oven to 325F.
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4
Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.
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5
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger into a medium bowl and set aside.
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6
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low-medium speed, beat the melted butter, sugar, and pumpkin until smoothly blended.
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7
Mix in the eggs and crystallized ginger.
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8
On low speed, mix in the flour mixture until it is incorporated.
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9
The batter will be thick.
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10
Fill each paper liner with a generous 1/4 cup of batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top of the liner.
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11
Bake just until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
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12
Cool the cupcakes for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.
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13
Carefully place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan.
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14
Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the wire rack.
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15
Turn the cupcakes top side up to cool completely.
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16
Frost the cupcakes.
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17
Transfer 1/4 cup of the frosting to a small bowl, and stir in enough cinnamon to make the frosting a light brown color and enough milk to make a thick but pourable frosting.
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18
Set aside to use for the spiderweb decoration.
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19
Use a small spatula to spread a scant 1/4 cup of the remaining frosting on top of each cupcake in a smooth even layer.
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20
Cleaning the spatula often against the side of the bowl will help you spread the frosting smoothly.
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21
Spoon the reserved cinnamon frosting into a small self-sealing freezer bag.
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22
Press out the excess air and seal the bag.
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23
Cut a tiny hole in one corner of the bag, about 1/16 inch long.
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24
Hold the bag about 1/2 inch above a cupcake and slowly pipe 2 circles, one inside the other, on the frosting.
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25
Pipe a dot of the frosting in the center.
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26
Using a toothpick, and beginning at the center, draw the tip gently through the frosting toward the edge of the cupcake.
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27
Move the toothpick about 3/4 inch away and, beginning at the edge of the cupcake, draw it toward the center.
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28
Continue pulling shallow lines, alternating the direction of the toothpick, around the top of the cupcake, to form a web pattern.
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29
Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
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30
The cupcakes can be loosely covered and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
