Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

What can you really say about Pumpkin Spice Latte cupcakes that hasn't already been said?

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 TBSP espresso powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 

1. Line cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices, and coffee. Stir to mix ingredients.
3. With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Scrape sides when needed. Add eggs one at a time and beat to incorporate before adding another egg.
4.  Add 1/3 of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat on low speed to incorporate.  Add half of the milk, beat to incorporate. Repeat twice more, ending with the flour.  Do not over beat.
5. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated. You might have to mix it by hand to ensure it well incorporated.
6. Spoon batter into cupcake tins; fill 2/3’s full.  Bake 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
7. When done, remove from oven, let cool in pan 15 minutes and remove to baking rack to complete cooling.
8. Top with real whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Garnish with a green straw if you're feeling sassy!

Pumpkin Pie Frosting

Alright, there's no two ways about it: this post is not exclusive to cupcakes alone. 

That said, I think pumpkin pie turned frosting would be absolutely delicious on a variety of cupcakes: chocolate, spice, carrot...PUMPKIN!!! And it doesn't even require you to be a baker (although we all know how I feel about that). AND it's gluten free!! Just go pick up a pie from your local grocer, remove the crust and get going!

Pictures via Cupcake Project

Step 1: Get a pie. Any pie! One without a crust is easier to use.

Step 2: 'Member that pie from Step 1? Now take a slice
and put it in a piping bag. Crazy Brillz!!!

Step 3: Pipe that pie!! Can you smell the pumpkin-ness
wafting from the screen...because I can!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes--Fall's New Cupcake Trend

Summer is so last week. How do I know? Because temperatures are cooling, Rachel Zoe is lit'rally at NY Fashion Week as we speak, and the autumnal cupcakes are coming out of the woodwork. 

Of the apple and caramel-laced cupcakes I've seen recently, this one from Something Shiny is shutting.it.down.

Photo (and recipe) via Something Shiny

Unlike the models at Fashion Week, it's what's on the inside of this cupcake that really matters:

Yellow Cupcake filled with apple preserves and caramels 

topped with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream

I lit-e-rally DIE for fall cupcake fashions.