After 20 hours of traveling, I'm back home in Denver from France. However, I still am crazy jetlagged, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. Definitely sweet.
Last week I told you that I would show you a great variation on the pumpkin muffins. Well, here you go. Pumpkin cupcakes with caramel frosting or a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I really couldn't decide which was my favorite, so I highly recommend that you do whatever sounds best and then try the other one with your next batch. Decisive, right? Sorry, like I said, I'm jetlagged. The caramel buttercream tastes very fall-like and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting provides a nice tang. I had some leftover cream cheese frosting in my freezer, so I dusted cinnamon on top of the frosting, but you can mix it in the frosting. That's probably what I'd do next time, even though the dusting is pretty. Either way, these cupcakes will be a big hit!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese or Caramel Frosting Recipe
Makes 36 cupcakes
Print this recipe
Note: This provides recipes for a cinnamon cream cheese frosting and a caramel frosting. Both are wonderful paired with the pumpkin cake, so I recommend you choose which one sounds best to you. You don't need to make both.
For the cupcakes:
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
1 1/2 packages cream cheese (12 ounces)
12 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the caramel frosting:
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces brown sugar (about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons packed)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
To make the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the first nine ingredients. Form a well in the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, applesauce, and oil into the middle. Mix those ingredients together, and then stir everything together until just incorporated. Line 36 muffin tins with liners. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into the liners or until they're about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
To make the cream cheese frosting, in your mixing bowl fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until smooth. It's best to weigh your powdered sugar because your amount in cups will depend on your humidity. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and taste. If you like a stronger cinnamon flavor, add more. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
To make the caramel frosting, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the brown sugar and bring to a boil while stirring. Stir in the milk, baking soda, and corn syrup and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and cool completely (about an hour). Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, and mix on medium speed until it's creamy and smooth. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Sources: Cupcakes from Taste of Home, cream cheese frosting from The Pioneer Woman cookbook, caramel frosting from Big Book of Cupcakes
Makes 36 cupcakes
Print this recipe
Note: This provides recipes for a cinnamon cream cheese frosting and a caramel frosting. Both are wonderful paired with the pumpkin cake, so I recommend you choose which one sounds best to you. You don't need to make both.
For the cupcakes:
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
15 ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
1 1/2 packages cream cheese (12 ounces)
12 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the caramel frosting:
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces brown sugar (about 1 cup + 2 tablespoons packed)
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 cups powdered sugar
To make the cupcakes, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the first nine ingredients. Form a well in the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, applesauce, and oil into the middle. Mix those ingredients together, and then stir everything together until just incorporated. Line 36 muffin tins with liners. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into the liners or until they're about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
To make the cream cheese frosting, in your mixing bowl fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until smooth. It's best to weigh your powdered sugar because your amount in cups will depend on your humidity. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and taste. If you like a stronger cinnamon flavor, add more. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
To make the caramel frosting, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the brown sugar and bring to a boil while stirring. Stir in the milk, baking soda, and corn syrup and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and cool completely (about an hour). Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, and mix on medium speed until it's creamy and smooth. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and pipe onto the cupcakes.
Sources: Cupcakes from Taste of Home, cream cheese frosting from The Pioneer Woman cookbook, caramel frosting from Big Book of Cupcakes
