Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

Some days you just need a little dose of Halloween, even though it is only March! These Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting will satisfy those spooky cravings. The pumpkin spice flavoring and sweet frosting are no tricks, just treats!

The Pumpkin Cupcake Batter

I am one of those people who can’t help but take a look at the on-sale items in the grocery store. After the holiday season, I always seem to find large cans of pumpkin puree on sale. Why normal people seem to abandon all love for pumpkin spice after November, I’ll never know – but I am unable to leave an on-sale can of pumpkin without a home. Thus, my pantry tends to have an excess of pumpkin.

Cupcakes are a great way to use up some pumpkin puree and bring a little Halloween cheer to any time of the year. This batter recipe also tastes very muffin-like, so in the past I have also foregone the frosting and used the batter to make sweet breakfast muffins for on-the-go mornings.

The batter ingredients are:

3/4 Cup Butter (softened)
1 1/2 Cups white granulated sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
15 oz (1 Can) Pumpkin Puree
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 1/3 Cups Flour
1 Tbsp Nutmeg
1 1/2 Tsps Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
3/4 Tsp Salt (or 1/4 Tsp Salt if you have used Salted Butter)

Directions:

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare your muffin pan with cupcake liners (preferably Halloween printed ones!)

Step 2 – In a large bowl, mix the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 3 – Beat in each of the three eggs. Add the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Step 4 – In a separate bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 5 – Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients at a time.

Step 6 – Pour the batter into the cupcake liners. Each liner should be filled no more than 3/4 of the way to the top.

Step 7 – Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 8 – Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Cinnamon Frosting

A cinnamon frosting is a perfect pairing for pumpkin puree. This particular recipe also works well on cinnamon buns. Both recipes are surprisingly versatile!

THE INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 Cup Butter (softened)
4 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 Tsps Vanilla
2 Tsps Ground Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1 – In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Beat until completely smooth.

Step 2 – Frost the cooled cupcakes. Best within 2-3 days.

The Candy Pumpkin Toppers

Get out your favorite candy mold and make some pumpkin toppers. For these, I just brought some water to a boil, placed a glass bowl over the pot with the boiling water, and melted white candy melts with a few drops of orange food coloring. It is best to actually buy the color melts you would like to use, but since I only had white on hand, I improvised. The directions state to not add any other liquids to the melts, but I am a rebel. The color was not very pronounced, but it looked a little better than pure white pumpkins.

Once thoroughly melted, pour the chocolate into the candy mold. Press the candy down and make sure that there are no air holes. Then, pop that mold in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, and then use them to top your cupcakes once they are frosted.