Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s October! I can finally make as many pumpkin treats as my heart desires! And believe me, by the time November rolls around my skin will be orange from all the pumpkin I’ve consumed. Win-win situation, if you ask me.

There are many things I love about Fall… I love Starbucks’ seasonal drinks, the crisp weather, the start of the holidays, and even watching college football (Mostly for this guy)… But I think my favorite thing about Fall is baking with pumpkin. And what better way to welcome Fall than to make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting— because what’s better than small and cute cupcakes?!

As much as I love cream cheese frosting, I wanted to make sure the pumpkin was the star in this dessert. But there is a fine line between pumpkin bread in muffin form and cupcakes with a subtle pumpkin flavor profile. With a little trial and error, I perfected the pumpkin cupcake.

It is moist, full of pumpkin flavor, and fluffy enough to be excluded from the muffin/bread category.

Have a great Tuesday and celebrate the season with these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes by the Bite-Sized Baker:

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour, sifted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with 20 liners.
2. In a stand mixer, or large bowl with a hand mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).  Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time to the mixer until well incporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the pumpkin batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Scoop the batter into the prepared pans—about ¾ full.  Bake for approximately 18 – 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then cool the cupcakes on racks completely.
5. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time (scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally), and then vanilla; mix until smooth.