I received a birthday cupcake order and I was told that I had creative freedom. Naturally, being the fall, I went with a fall theme, and what could be more fall than pumpkin spice?
The reaction I received for these cupcakes was not what I expected. Many said that they were the best cupcakes they had ever had, and I was really happy to hear that considering I had never made them before. I think what brings it together is the fresh coffee (or espresso) at the end and the light and airy frosting thaat tastes like foamed milk. I went the extra mile with the caramel decorations, and while I'm happy with the outcome (despite them melting a bit), I do not recommend making them unless you've made caramel before.
The Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes are to the right with the caramel decoration in the picture.
Ingredients (cupcake):
1 1/3 cups flour
4 1/2 tsp espresso powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup brewed coffee or espresso
Ingredients (frosting):
8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vannilla
2 cups heavy cream
Directions (cupcakes):
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, white and brown sugar, and vegetable oil until combined. Break up any clumps of sugar. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Fold in flour mixture until combined. Divide batter among baking cups until about 2/3 full. If making regular cupcakes, bake 18-22 minutes. If baking minis (like I did), bake for about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, move to a wire rack, then brush the tops with brewed coffee/espresso. Apply a second coat if desired. Cool completely before frosting.
Directions (frosting):
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed with a whisk attachment until smooth, about 3 minutes. Slowly add heavy cream, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary, and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form. Pipe frosting, then sprinkle with cinnamon or drizzle with caramel sauce. I went the extra mile and made caramel decorations (I'll save that for another post).
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.