Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Nothing says "fall" quite like anything and everything pumpkin spice! These pumpkin spice cupcakes are no exception, and the cream cheese frosting on top makes them even better! Hopefully these cupcakes will keep you in the fall mood {it is November, after all!} while the malls and stores are already playing their Christmas music. 

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Yields 24+ {about 30}

Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornstarch 

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

3/4 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1 cup almond milk


Frosting:

1 cup butter

3 cups cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

4-6 cups confectioners' sugar





Directions: 

Sift and then whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.


Beat together the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. When all of the eggs have been added and combined, add the pumpkin and mix until thoroughly combined. 

While still beating, add half of the flour mixture, then half of the almond milk.

Repeat until everything is added. Stir until just combined

Bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes

For the frosting, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth without any lumps of butter. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the confectioners' sugar one cup at a time and beat until you achieve your desired texture/thickness with the sugar. If your frosting is not firming up because of the surrounding temperature {if your house is really warm}, put the frosting in the refrigerator before frosting your cupcakes.

Frost the cupcakes with a star tip, and top with sprinkled cinnamon.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Snickerdoodle cookies are one of those classic cookies that I remember eating all the time as a kid. They were always warm and chewy, with just a hint of spice...they were like little hugs! :) I don't know why I never thought of making them into a cupcake, but I'm glad I finally did.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Yields 24+

Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tbsp cinnamon 

1 1/2 cup almond milk

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sweet cream, salted butter {softened}

1 tbsp vanilla extract


Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioner's sugar



Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and egg whites, and set aside.

Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until all of the sugar is combined, then add the vanilla extract.

While still beating, alternate adding half of the flour mixture, then half of the egg white and almond milk mixture until they are both completely combined. 

Fill cupcake cups halfway, and bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes.

For the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth {about 5 minutes}. Be sure to have softened the butter slightly before hand so there aren't clumps of butter in your yummy frosting.

Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar, about a half a cup at a time. I suggest sifting it in so there aren't lumps in it, because like I said before, no one likes lumpy frosting.

Beat for 3 to 5 minutes after everything is combined to get the frosting smooth and fluffy.

Pipe with a star tip from the center around in a circle to make a rosette.

Top with sprinkled cinnamon sugar, and enjoy!

Here's a picture of my decorating setup...I know for a long time I struggled with organization, but I found a way that works for me...I hope maybe it can help some of you too.

I use the cylinder to put the piping bag inside of while I fill it with frosting. It just makes for an easier {and a lot less mess!} frosting process. If you would like to order one shoot me an email! My dad is a functional potter and he make them. Enjoy this week's recipe guys!

Almond Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

One of the greatest things that comes with the beautiful weather of summer is all of the fresh fruit!!! If you haven't noticed by now, one of my favorite things to use in frostings {both in the frosting itself and as a topper} is fresh fruit..strawberries, raspberries, blueberries...I love them all! These cupcakes were also from my Independence Day weekend {thus the red, white, and blue}, and although I was originally hesitant to top them with blueberries, they were quite delicious and would not have been the same without them.

Almond Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

Yields about 24

Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 cup almond milk

4 egg whites

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sweet cream, salted butter {softened}

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 handful fresh raspberries

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and egg whites; set aside.

Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until all of the sugar is combined, then add the vanilla and almond extract.

While still beating, alternate adding half of the flour mixture, then half of the egg white/almond milk mixture until they are both completely combined. 

Fill cupcake cups halfway, and bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes.

For the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth {about 3 minutes}. 

Gradually beat in 2 cups of the confectioner's sugar, about a half a cup at a time. Once the sugar is completely combined into the cream cheese and butter, add the raspberries and beat until they are mixed into the frosting and broken apart enough so that the frosting wont just have clumps of raspberry in it.

Beat for 3 to 5 minutes after everything is combined to get the frosting smooth and fluffy; if the frosting is too liquid because of the raspberries, add up to a cup of extra confectioner's sugar...the frosting will be slightly sweeter, but it will stay more firm.

Pipe with star tip, top with fresh blueberries {or other fresh fruit of your choice:)}

The day that I made these cupcakes was one of the hottest days we've had here so far this summer, so the frosting started to melt after a while. Also the juice from the raspberries didn't help with that either, so DEFINITELY throw these {don't actually throw them, c'mon guys} into the fridge immediately after you are done piping the frosting. Store your cupcakes in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. Enjoy!

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Talk about a light and refreshing summery cupcake!! The vanilla cupcakes is spongy and the frosting is some of the best frosting I have ever made! It is so refreshing and I could seriously just eat it with a spoon. One {or two ;)} of these cupcakes goes perfectly with a warm summer day and a tall glass of pink lemonade, but don't just take my word for it; give it a try yourself!

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Yields about 18

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup almond milk

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups confectioner's sugar

zest from one medium lemon {about 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp}

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, and then slowly add the sugar a little at a time while still whisking.

Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and the oil, and whisk until completely combined. 

Alternately whisk in half of the flour and half of the almond milk until they are both completely combined.

Fill baking cups about half way, and bake on 350 for 15/20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean and cupcakes are golden yellow.

For the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth {about 5 minutes}. Be sure to have softened the butter slightly before hand so there aren't clumps of butter in your yummy frosting.

Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar, about a half a cup at a time. I suggest sifting it in so there aren't lumps in it, because like I said before, no one likes lumpy frosting.

Once everything else in the frosting has been evenly combined, beat in the lemon zest, and continue beating for 3 to 5 minutes after everything is combined to get the frosting smooth and fluffy.

Pipe frosting with an open star tip onto the cooled cupcakes.

Top the frosted cupcakes with fresh blueberries. Add any remaining lemon zest on top of them for a little extra zing.

And there you are! How perfect and yummy to these look?! Enjoy the recipe, just beware that if you bring them to a function, you will be asked to make them again :)

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

"...wait, what?" you must be thinking, "Chocolate...ZUCCHINI???" Yes, yes my friends, Chocolate Zucchini. Veggie cupcakes aren't as far-fetched as you might think. Carrot cupcakes are good, remember? These cupcakes are perfectly moist and chocolate-y, you can't even tell that there is zucchini in them! Hey mom's! This is great way to get your kids to eat there veggies!! Not really, but hey, it's fun to watch them enjoy the cupcakes without them knowing what's inside :). 

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Yields 24

Cupcakes:

½ cup unsalted butter

1 ¾ cups flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp instant coffee

3 eggs

2 cups grated zucchini {about 1 medium-large zucchini}

¾ cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, beat the sugars and butter until combined. Add vanilla, coffee, and eggs.

In another bowl, combine the zucchini and chocolate chips; mix with a fork to evenly combine the chocolate chips into the zucchini.

Beat the flour mixture into the sugar/butter mixture. Be careful not to over-beat!

Fold the zucchini mixture into the batter. Make sure to blend evenly so there aren’t random clumps of zucchini.

Bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes. These cupcakes are so moist, be careful not to over bake them.

For the frosting, in a large bowl with an electric mixter, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until they are mixed into a fluffy homogeneous whole. 

Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar, about a half a cup at a time. I suggest sifting it in so there aren't lumps in it, because no one likes lumpy frosting.

Beat for 3 to 5 minutes after everything is combined to get the frosting smooth and fluffy.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes with a circle tip.

Top with sifted cocoa powder and chocolate chunks.

This recipe was more of an experiment than anything, but I am really pleased with how they turned out! Like I mentioned before, it was so fun {and I felt quite mischievous ;)} watching people love the cupcakes and then freak out when I told them what was in it. I know that "veggie cupcakes" are a lot outside of most people's comfort zone, but give them a try! Comment and let me know how you liked them! 

Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

Spring is finally here!!! And in my opinion it could not have come soon enough! Don't get me wrong, I love snow, but after a while it just gets to be too much. This week is very special to me, because my mom's birthday is this week. Her favorite cake is carrot cake, so I wrote this recipe for her. She loved it, so i hope you do as well! :)

Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

Yields 24

Cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup crushed pineapple (1 drained and pressed 8oz can)

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon and baking soda until combined.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the vegetable oil. Gradually beat in the sugar until thick, then beat in the vanilla.

Gently beat in the dry ingredients until combined.

Fold in the carrots and pineapple with a spatula. Make sure they are both evenly combined in the batter, so you don't have huge chunks of either in a cupcake.

Fill cupcake cups halfway, and bake on 350 for about 25 minutes.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, the cupcakes still may look wet on the top when they are cooked, so check with a toothpick even if they look under-cooked. You don't want to over cook them!

For the frosting, beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth {about 5 minutes}. Be sure to have softened the butter slightly before hand so there aren't clumps of butter in your yummy frosting.

Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar, about a half a cup at a time. I suggest sifting it in so there aren't lumps in it, because like I said before, no one likes lumpy frosting.

Beat for 3 to 5 minutes after everything is combined to get the frosting smooth and fluffy.

Pipe with a circle tip onto the cooled cupcakes and top with golden raisins {because they are way better than regular raisins}.

My mom is the strongest woman I know, and I hope to one day be half of the woman that she is. She's taught me the importance of family and faith and so much more. Her joy and love and perseverance inspires me every day to try to be a better person. God has blessed me with the greatest mother in the whole world {probably because He knew that I would be a handful :P}, and I am eternally grateful for everything she has taught me and everything she has walked me through.

So Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you so much!

"Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Psalm 91:14-16