Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

I made these along with the Apple Harvest Cupcakes I posted about earlier this week. It's no coincidence that both cupcakes are topped with the same delicious cream cheese icing. I didn't have time to both bake and ice the cupcakes the day of the event. I wound up baking them the night before and then frosting them the next morning. Making one large batch of icing saved me time over making two different buttercreams. And a couple of people at the luncheon declared it the best icing they'd ever had, so apparently I made a wise choice. Sure, it could have all been exaggerated flattery, but, hey, I'll take it!


PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES

for the cupcakes:
2 1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c milk

for the icing:
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in pumpkin puree and vanilla. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just to combine. Then add 1/3 of the milk and mix to combine. Continue alternating between batches of flour mixture and milk until all ingredients are incorporated.

4. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack before icing.

5. To make the frosting: beat together the butter and cream cheese, then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread onto cupcakes with a spatula or use a pastry bag and tip.

This recipe is shared with Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Craft-O-Maniac, On the Menu Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Made by You Monday, Tuesday Talent Show, This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday, Sweets for a Saturday

Apple Harvest Cupcakes

As I've mentioned before, I do a bit of catering. Right now, it's mostly through word of mouth. One day, I'll make up some business cards, complete my website, and go legit. But this works for right now.

I made these cupcakes for a luncheon honoring a group of hard-working volunteers. The hostess of the event had her home decorated in an Autumn theme, so I figured cupcakes inspired by fall flavors were the way to go. And what says fall like apples?

When I came across this recipe, I was unconvinced. There is no butter in these cupcakes. I'm so accustomed to using butter, and usually quite a bit of it, in my baking, that the idea made me a bit uneasy. But I'm glad I worked through my hesitations and gave these a try.

One of the risks of making a cupcake like this is winding up with a muffin covered in frosting as opposed to a true cupcake. These definitely pass the true cupcake test. One thing these cupcakes didn't excel at was tasting like apple. Don't get me wrong, the apple taste is there. However, one or two people mistook them for a carrot or spice cake, and I can see how they'd make the mistake. Eat enough Autumn-inspired goodies with the same spices in them, and it can get a bit muddled. One way to fix this for the apple lovers out there: increase the chopped apple by 1/2 c and decrease the walnut by 1/2 c.

I got the recipe for these cupcakes from the sensational Betty Crocker's Big Book of Cupcakes and the recipe for the cream cheese frosting from Buttercream Bakehouse.

APPLE HARVEST CUPCAKES

for the cupcakes:
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c salt
3 c chopped tart apples (like Granny Smith)
1 c chopped walnuts

for the icing:
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, vegetable oil and eggs. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined. Stir in the chopped apple and walnuts by hand. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling each one about 2/3 full.

3. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake in the middle of each pan comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting: beat together the butter and cream cheese, then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread onto cupcakes with a spatula or use a pastry bag and tip.

This recipe is shared with Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Craft-O-Maniac, On the Menu Monday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Made by You Monday, Tuesday Talent Show, This Chick Cooks, Full Plate Thursday, Foodie Friday, Sweets for a Saturday