Pumpkin Cupcakes with Whipped Cinnamon Buttercream
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Recipe type: Dessert
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Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: about 30 cupcakes
 
Welcome fall into your kitchen with these perfectly spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with delicious and fluffy Whipped Cinnamon Buttercream.
Ingredients
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
  • 3 c flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground all spice
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 c vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 2 c (or one 15½ oz can) pumpkin puree
  • ½ c apple cider
WHIPPED CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM
  • 4 oz (1/2 a brick) cream cheese, softened, but not warm
  • 1½ c butter (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 4 - 5 c powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with liners.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, cloves, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugars until no lumps remain.
  4. Add the oil and mix until incorporated.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  6. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix well.
  7. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture a third at a time. Add more just before the last addition is incorporated. Turn the mixer off when the last of the flour mixture is almost finished incorporating.
  8. Add the apple cider and fold in with a spatula just until the batter is smooth. Don't over mix.
  9. Using a scoop, scoop the batter into prepared pans to about ¾ full.
  10. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  11. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a couple minutes and remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
WHIPPED CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter and mix until well combined on medium high speed.
  2. Turn the mixer down to low and begin adding the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
  3. After adding 2 cups of the powdered sugar, add the salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix well.
  4. Add 2 more cups of powdered sugar (one at a time) and beat on high until well incorporated.
  5. Add in the heavy whipping cream and gradually increase the speed to high and beat til light and fluffy.
  6. If the buttercream is too loose, add more powdered sugar ½ c at a time until desired consistency is reached. (*TIP- cream cheese frosting can be finicky. If it's too warm that pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes and then mix it again to fluff it when you take it out.)
  7. Fill a piping bag with buttercream and pipe a swirl of buttercream on the cooled cupcakes (I used a Wilton 2D).
*Store cupcakes in the refrigerator until about 20 minutes before serving if they won't be served right away.
Recipe by The Red Eye Baker at https://www.theredeyebaker.com/2017/10/pumpkin-cupcakes-cinnamon-buttercream/