Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spice Cream Cheese Frosting
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Mmmmm… warm cider, Thanksgiving food, pumpkin cupcakes… I love fall! In fact, I couldn’t wait to make these cupcakes for the autumn season! That’s actually why, for timing reasons, I skipped ahead a few letters to make these pumpkin cupcakes at Thanksgiving (the flavor just fit so well!). So here they are: pumpkin spice cupcakes!
Original recipe from: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/11/02/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spice Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes: 24 regular sized cupcakes and 24 minis
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2½ cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1½ cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until just combined. Add pumpkin; beat until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 3 days in airtight containers.
To finish, use an offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a decorated tip to top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
Spice Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, ½ cup at a time, and then the spices and vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.
