Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Hmm I'll take that one, and that one, if you please.

Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd this year? Every few years I volunteer to host the dinner for my family, even though my house is tiny and my kitchen is tinier! I don’t have a large enough dining room for a sit-down affair, so at my house the informal Buffet is the norm.



For a dessert that suits a buffet line, you want something that people can easily serve themselves. You want a dessert that’s simple to make, because you are probably busy with a huge, multi-course dinner. Pie is OK, unless you get That Guy in the line ahead of you, who takes most of the pie! A dessert that is individually portioned is much easier to control, and even easier to have enough on hand so “that guy” gets extras, if he wants them. These Pumpkin Cupcakes fit the bill, have all the flavours of Thanksgiving, are easy to prepare and make whopping 3 dozen — you will definitely have enough to go around!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Based on this recipe
(Makes 36 cupcakes)

Ingredients

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk (homo, 3.25%, regular)
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
4 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Method for Cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with decorative cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in both sugars until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
5. Add vanilla to milk. Add half the milk mixture, mixing until completely blended. Add half the flour mixture, mixing until completely blended. Repeat, alternating the milk mixture with the flour mixture, until completely combined.
6. Add pumpkin puree and mix until just blended.
7. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling to about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes. The cupcake is done when a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcake comes out clean.
9. Let cool before frosting.

Method for Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
2. Add icing sugar, beating at low speed at first and then increasing speed (so you don’t spray icing sugar everywhere!).
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat until combined.
4. Spread cupcakes with frosting, or use a piping bag to swirl frosting on in a decorative way.

Mine. All mine.

This column first appeared in Stimuli Magazine. Check out my column

'Just Desserts' for more sweet and delicious recipes!