Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake Recipe

Once again I sought out Annie's awesome cupcake collection for Kevin's birthday dessert inspiration. After giving him 5 or 6 to choose from, he immediately chose these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes. I was excited to try them! I had all of the ingredients on hand except the heavy whipping cream. About the whipped cream--1) it is so worth it to whip your own cream for these! and 2) I really don't enjoy making frosting so I was totally stoked about the simplicity of the whipped topping. 

Kevin brought enough cupcakes to his seminary class for everyone to enjoy one. They were a HUGE hit. (I even heard of someone eating three of them. wow. That's impressive.) 

Perfect for the fall holidays and birthdays or just because I love you and I love pumpkin spice latte days. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake Recipe

recipe from annies-eats.com

Yield: about 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp espresso powder (or extra finely ground coffee)

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp salt

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1/2 cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

For the whipped cream:

2-1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

For garnish:

Ground cinnamon

Caramel sauce

Directions

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.  Stir together and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full.  Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.  Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans.  While the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating.  Let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increasing to high speed.  Blend in the confectioners’ sugar gradually.  Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat.  Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cooled cupcakes.  Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and drizzle with caramel sauce.  Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

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