Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

After making the pumpkin bars, I still had 3/4 cup pumpkin left. I was going to try to attempt scones again, but then I came across this recipe for cupcakes. This was perfect, since I was in a cake mood anyway and I had cream cheese to use up.

The original recipe yielded 32 cupcakes, but I halved the recipe and ended up with 18.  I did use buttermilk powder and water instead of actual buttermilk. I found that the batter was nice and fluffy from the use of the cake flour and buttermilk powder. Also, since I didn’t have any more unsalted butter left, I used salted butter, but forgot to reduce the amount of the salt. It didn’t make a big difference at all. To top it off, I used my favorite cream cheese recipe. It’s not too sweet to my family’s tastes, and it’s a good ratio of butter and cream cheese.

I didn’t quit have enough frosting to frost all 18 cupcakes based on the amount of frosting from the picture. I was able to frost 14. Next time, each cupcake will get slight less frosting on them so all of them will have some!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from: Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

printable recipe

ingredients:2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 TBSP ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

for the frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioner’s sugar

directions:Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 muffin trays with 18 paper liners. In a medium bowl sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.

In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until each one is fully incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined, then add pumpkin and beat until just combined.

Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, scoop and fill the lined cups. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with little or no crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan on wire racks for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

for the frosting:
Beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat for 5 minutes or until fluffy.
Attach your favorite tip into a piping bag, or cut the corner of a ziploc bag and pipe onto cupcakes from the outside in. Alternatively, you can scoop and spread the frosting with an offset spatula.
Makes 18 cupcakes.