11/17/2014
Hello everyone! I hope you're having a swell day and getting excited about holiday baking. The recipe I have chosen to share with you today is for my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes which I thought might be a fun twist on dessert for your Thanksgiving celebrations this year instead of or in addition to the traditional pumpkin pie. I hope you enjoy!
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 cup pumpkin purée not pie filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup veggie oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine pumpkin, both sugars, veggie oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined and smooth. With the mixer on low slowly add the dry ingredients about a half cup at a time. Mix until just combined. Remove the mixing bowl from your mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and make sure all of your ingredients have been fully incorporated into the batter. This batter will be semi-liquidy, don't be alarmed. : )
Scoop the batter into muffin tins that have been lined with baking cups. I like to use an ice cream scoop which I level off with a spatula so that my cupcakes are all the same size and bake evenly. Bake the cupcakes at 350 with your oven rack in the center position for 20 minutes rotating the pan 180 degrees half way through the baking time. If after 20 minutes your cupcakes do not spring back when depressed lightly with your finger, bake for another 3-5 minutes.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan.
While the cupcakes are baking you can make the filling and frosting. Here's how:
Coffee Mousse Filling
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
1 tblsp. warm water
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until soft peaks form. Dissolve instant coffee or espresso powder in a tablespoon of warm water. Pour the coffee mixture a little bit at a time into the whipping cream and stir together with a spatula. If at this point the mixture does not have enough coffee flavor for your liking, you can make more of the coffee mixture and add more a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired coffee flavor strength. Transfer mixture to a ziplock bag and store in the fridge until the cupcakes are cool enough to fill.
Vanilla Buttercream
1 pound of unsalted sweet cream butter softened
3 cups powdered sugar (or to your taste)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar on low until combined, now turn the mixer up to high and beat for 30 seconds. Bring the mixer back down to low and add another half cup of powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Bring the mixer up to high again and beat for another 30 seconds. Bring the mixer back down to low and add the vanilla extract and another half cup of powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Bring the mixer back up to high and mix for another 30 seconds. Continue this process until you have added the last half cup of powdered sugar. (I know it seems like a lot of whipping, but the end result worth it! It will give you the light and fluffy not too sweet butter cream that we are know for.) Now taste your buttercream and see if it needs more sugar or vanilla so it's to your liking.
Transfer butter cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BVFYU4/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?qid=1416255855&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
Now that all of the components are made and the cupcakes have cooled it's time to put it all together. Step one core your cupcakes with an apple corer like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004OCIQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1416255127&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40
(Hint) Save the cupcakes middles for yourself or your loved ones for a special treat. I always save mine for Michael. 😃 To make it extra special you can add some filling and frosting as well.
Now that we have our cupcakes cored, it's time for steps 2-4 filling, frosting and topping. Retrieve your coffee mousse filling from the fridge and snip a little bit off of one corner of the plastic bag. Now, squeeze the filling into the cored cupcakes making sure not to over-fill them just right to the top of the hole. Now it's time to frost. It takes time to perfect the cupcake swirl, start on the outer edge of the cupcake and swirl in a clockwise motion until you reach the center, then release the pressure on the bag and pull up. Now the finishing touch, dust the cupcakes with cinnamon sugar and enjoy!
I welcome your feedback, and I will do my best to answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Have fun!
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