Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes with Spiced Vegan Buttercream Frosting

So I've sort of made it a habit to bring cupcakes to work every week now. I think it's selfishly because I absolutely love seeing all of my coworkers eating vegan yummies and then slipping by to grab another one and another one... When I make regular sized cupcakes they go fast. I decided that not only are mini cupcakes cuter, but it makes it easier for more people to get one. And the people want to eat 2, or 3 or even 4 of them still get their chance. Seriously, a few people had 4 of these babies.

I just got this new frosting thingie that I like to call my frosting gun. I need a second one and a holster. Then I have to find someone to have a showdown with on a dirty street while tumbleweeds roll past and Ennio Morricone music playing in the background. Until such a showdown happens, I'll use my frosting gun for good instead of evil. Or maybe for evil instead of good, depending on how you look at it. It makes piping frosting amazingly simple and more importantly, less messy. Yay! I hate cleaning out frosting bags and getting frosting all over my hands because I always fill the bags too full. But no more! Now my trusty frosting gun will make swirls and leaves and roses for me.

I have to admit that I just like the way the batter looks all cute and pumpkiny with it's chunks of chocolate awesomeness.

I had some leftover pumpkin to use up, so I decided that I would make the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I didn't have chocolate chips, but I did have a few bars of bittersweet chocolate, so I chopped those up instead of using chips. To top it all off, I made the Fluffy Vegan Buttercream frosting and added a liberal amount of pumpkin pie spice to it.

This is the second time I've made these cupcakes, the first time was for the cobweb cupcakes that I made on Halloween. I will definitely be adding these to my regular cupcake rotation. They're absolutely fantastic. And I like to tell myself that they're good for me. You know, the pumpkin has vitamins and the chocolate has antioxidants. Yeah... that's the ticket.