Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hey everyone, it's Stephanie! I guess my fellow blogmates decided to save the best for last ;) I kid, I kid. So my choice for the bake off was pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I've always loved pumpkin anything, and cream cheese frosting is aaamazing!! Like Kelly I am OBSESSED with Pinterest. I found a great recipe for cupcakes while playing around on there. There is so much to see on that website. As this is not a blog post for Pinterest, I will move on!


My recipe called for all cake flour, and that's what I used. I'm learning that sometimes that can lead to dry cupcakes, but mine weren't. I think that's because there was pumpkin in it; it helped to moisten them. If I were to make these again (which I'm sure I will!), I would probably add more pumpkin. These cupcakes tasted amazing, but not quite pumpkiny enough. There were many spices in the recipe, and they really added to the flavor. I sifted all the dry ingredients together. Then using the hand mixer, I mixed it into the wet ones. It smelled so good, even before baking. These cupcakes are the meaning of fall!!



Look at that pretty color of that batter! Is it just me or did anyone notice that I apparently like green shirts?! lol I'll have to remember to wear a different color to our next get together.




I can't believe there was any batter left for baking! It was so yummy!


I used a basket weave frosting tip. I thought that would add to the fall feel of the cupcake. Now I have to say, I added more cream cheese and powdered sugar to the frosting recipe that I am posting at the end. I put another 8 ounces of cream cheese and two pounds of sugar. It made a ton of frosting, but it was sooooo good!! We could not stop dipping our fingers in it. I added to the recipe because the frosting was rather thin.



I love how both the cupcakes and the decoration encompass fall. These are the perfect cupcakes for a crisp fall day.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cupcakes:
4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
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)


For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2. 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.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Move cupcakes to wire racks to cool.

4. To finish, use an offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with a decorated tip to top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Directions for frosting:

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 vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. (Remember I added more to make it thicker)

recipe adapted from the brown eyed baker blog