I couldn't believe my eyes this week when I saw the ad for Pumpkin Spice Lattes in my local Starbucks. Pumpkin Spice already? But there's still a little more summer to be had, isn't there?
Of course, it was impossible to stay upset for too long; after all, this is lovely pumpkin — one of my favorite flavors of all time — that we're talking about! So, I ransacked my pumpkin-flavored recipes to find this one for Pumpkin Cupcakes. You'll recognize that it's a classic, but the cinnamon in the Cream Cheese Frosting gives it a little something extra. Even if you're mourning the passing of summer, there's no way you cannot enjoy this lovely autumnal dessert.
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting from AllRecipes
Ingredients
For cupcakes
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
For frosting
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
1. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2. Beat 1/2 cup of butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg.
3. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into 24 greased muffin cups or cups lined with muffin papers.
5. Bake at 375 until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed — about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Make frosting. Beat the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy.
7. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.
Image via shimelle/Flickr
