I love that fall and winter have such distinctive tastes. Winter tastes like cinnamon and vanilla. And Autumn tastes like pumpkin and spices. Therefore, I am obligated (and thrilled) to whip up some pumpkin-flavored treats.
I love cupcakes, but I am so terrible at decorating them that I generally shy away from making them. Luckily, my wonderful husband will eat an ugly cupcake just as quickly as a beautiful one, so I’m pretty sure it’s the taste that counts. And these cupcakes have some taste! Think of brown sugar and cinnamon, chocolate and pumpkin. Oh my goodness. These are a total indulgence, but they are so wonderfully fall (and perhaps a little winter, too) that you have to try them.
And even if you wanted to make some regular old chocolate cupcakes, top them with this frosting. You will not regret it. The frosting is what really ups the awesome factor.
Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes
recipe adapted from iambaker
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (trust me, there’s so much awesome going on in these cupcakes that you won’t taste the whole wheat)
2/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325. Prepare a muffin pan with liners.
In a mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix.
Sift together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, stir together the yogurt, pumpkin, and vanilla.
Alternately mix the yogurt mixture and flour mixture into your butter/sugar mixing bowl, until all are incorporated.
Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
I’ve made this recipe twice, and made 24 cupcakes with one batch, and 30 with another. Go figure.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream
recipe from My Kitchen Addiction
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons half and half
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and shortening. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until combined.
Alternately add the powdered sugar and half and half, just a little at a time, mixing in between additions.
I may or may not have used my leftover cinnamon brown sugar buttercream frosting to top some cake batter cookies last night. Recipe coming soon!
-Ally
frugalfeeding says
Cute cupcakes and perfect icing. I have a new piping bag I’ve never used… I can’t wait to practice this!