Seductively soft and spicy, impossibly light and fluffy, these elegant cupcakes will look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table this year. Whipped cream cheese buttercream icing is piled high and dusted with cinnamon. Irresistible!
Did you know that there are people who don’t like pie? Honest! (Shaking my head sadly.) Hard-to-please guests will enjoy the simplicity of this dessert and appreciate being given an alternative to traditional pies.
When I first created this recipe it was huge, making 48 cupcakes. I’ve cut it in half for you, but if you are expecting a big crowd (or just big eaters) you can easily double it. I’m all about making 48 at a time and freezing some as soon as they’re cool for later in the holiday season. You can ice them in holiday colors or even with stabilized whipped cream.
I’ve never been too tempted by cake batter . . . until now. (Cookie dough? I’m all over it.) This batter tastes just like pumpkin pie. I know, raw eggs and even raw flour can be risky; it’s a risk I’ll take for this guilty pleasure.
| Velvety Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes | Print |
- CAKE:
- ¼ cup oil (canola or peanut oil are good)
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs, separated, room temperature
- ¼ cup solid-pack pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1¼ cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (add another pinch if you're using unsalted butter)
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ICING:
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- a pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (plus more for dusting over the top)
- ⅓-1/2 cup heavy cream
- Heat oven to 350 F. Prepare two cupcake pans by adding 24 paper liners.
- In a large bowl, beat together the oil, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light - at least 2 minutes.
- Add egg yolks one a time, mixing until well blended and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, one-third of each at a time, beginning with the flour mixture and ending with the buttermilk.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold thoroughly into the batter. (It's fine if you see a few white fluffy spots.)
- Divide between the 24 liners, approximately ⅔ full.
- Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a cupcake. Cool completely on a baking rack before icing.
- ICING:
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, shortening and vanilla. Beat well.
- Add salt and cinnamon. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on medium speed. Add a little of the cream if mixture gets too thick.
- Begin with ⅓ cup cream. Add one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy; 1-2 minutes. If icing is too thick, drizzle in remaining cream a little at a time.
- Pipe onto cupcakes and dust lightly with cinnamon.
Sift the dry ingredients! This is a light, airy cake – you’ve got to jump through some hoops.
Cream the butter, oil, and sugars. Add yolks one at a time.
See how fluffy the batter is now? Time to add the pumpkin.
Fold in the stiffly-beaten egg whites.
Fill about 2/3 full.
Pipe on the icing and sprinkle with cinnamon
