Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Inspired by...PSL

Pumpkin spice lattes just say "fall" to me. But you probably already know about my love of fall and its flavors, so I'll say no more about that!

I originally created this recipe last year. At that point I was looking into blogging and trying to figure out how it all worked, so I didn't quite have a platform for sharing it then. But now...here it is! I'm so glad I saved the recipe because it was just as good as I remembered it.  

That's one of the reasons that I'm loving blogging - aside from being able to share recipes with friends and family, I have something like a diary of recipes that I've used. Before the blog, I had to try to remember the little tweaks and changes I made to an online recipe, and wasn't always successful. Now, I have a good reason to write them out!  And since the blog is online, I have access to them no matter what kitchen I'm in.  

So that's my selfish reason for blogging ;) But I'm really loving sharing my recipes with you all and hearing when you try them out.  Hopefully this one goes on your list too!

I made these cupcakes using my favorite Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe and creating a light whipped cream frosting to reflect the foam of a latte. With espresso in both components, I think the latte concept really comes through.  And there's no question that the pumpkin spice is there!

Before making the frosting, I mixed up my own pumpkin pie spice using the Pioneer Woman's recipe.  But if you have pumpkin spice in a jar already, then just use that!  The cupcakes take a different combination of spices, so you'll still need the individual spices for those though.

Recipe
Makes 12-14 regular cupcakes or about 40 mini cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
Cake recipe adapted from Chowhound

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• ½ can (slightly less than 1 cup) pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon brewed coffee or Kahlua or just warm water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, mix together the oil and sugar until incorporated.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing to incorporate with each addition.  Scrape sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
4. Add pumpkin and mix well.
5. Add the espresso-coffee mixture and blend in.
6. Turn mixer to low and slowly add dry ingredients to the wet until just incorporated.  Scraping bowl as needed. 
7. Scoop into cupcake pans and bake.  For mini cupcakes, bake for 12-14 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Regular cupcakes will take about 22 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon of one of the following: brewed coffee, Kahlua, or vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. 
2. Add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. 
3. Add espresso-coffee mixture and pumpkin pie spice and mix into cream cheese.  
4. With mixer on high, add heavy cream slowly in a steady, slow stream, incorporating completely as you beat the mixture.  You may need to stop pouring the cream off and on so that it's continually incorporated as you go.  Beat just until all of the cream is incorporated and the mixture is thick enough to hold stiff peaks.
5. Pipe onto cupcakes, generously.  (You'll want plenty of this frosting on your cupcake!)

Enjoy!!!