Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Hello all! I know that last week I published a recipe on blueberry coffee cake, a end of the summer treat, and now we're really into fall. Last night was a huge rainstorm (I'm so excited for the rainy season!) and I thought that was just another excuse for me to get baking.
These cupcakes are absolutely perfect. The cake is warm and pumpkiny, with all those spices that make your taste buds think of fall. Do taste buds think? I'm not sure. The cream cheese frosting is my classic recipe, and it's slight tanginess compliments the pumpkin cupcakes perfectly. To top it off, I sprinkled some cinnamon on the icing.
I'm baking today with my friend Abigail, so I made a batch of 24. I usually only make 12 because I have a family of three and 24 cupcakes is too much for just the three of us. Anyway, this recipe could be halved fairly easily, or even doubled if you want oodles of cakes.
I piped this icing with a round nozzle. I think that looks the best for this style of cupcake, although anything would work; if you don't have piping supplies, don't worry; it will look just fine spread on there with a knife, and it will certainly taste as good.
Without further delay, empecemos! (Let's get started!)
INGREDIENTS
Serves: 24 Prep time: Bake time: 20-25 min
FOR THE CAKE
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 15oz can of pumpkin
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
FOR THE ICING
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (neufchatel would work as well)
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper wrappers.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and mix well. Put flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and ginger through a sift and whisk until combined. Add alternatively with the buttermilk. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
For the cream cheese icing, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar in 2 parts, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, mix well. Load into a piping bag with a round nozzle. Pipe or spread frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
