Pumpkin Week Day 5: Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

It has been a full week of pumpkin inspired recipes and I couldn't think of a more fitting recipe to round it out with. There are few things I enjoy more than a warm pumpkin spice latte during the fall months. With that in mind, these cupcakes are heaven!

Recipe yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 tbsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Toppings:
Caramel sauce
Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. In a large bowl combine sugars, pumpkin, oil and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer until well combined.

Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time and beat for a few seconds in between. Once combined, mix well until fully incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, espresso powder and salt.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and beat until batter is just combined.

Fill each cupcake liner roughly 3/4 of the way up. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or so.

Check the cupcakes with the clean toothpick test. If ready, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, you can prepare your frosting. In a small bowl, add heavy cream and sugar. Whisk vigorously until thick and stiff peeks start to form (if your arm starts to burn, feel free to use the electric mixer).

Frost the cupcakes and then top with drizzled caramel sauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve to your fellow pumpkin spice latte lovers. Enjoy your masterpiece!

A big thanks goes out to Carmine for the wonderful cupcake icing. Who knew he was a professional cupcake decorator?

Number 100!

Today's post marks my 100th post since starting my blog only four months ago. I cannot believe how much support and encouragement I have received. Thank you to all my readers!

In honor of my 100th post, today's post features simple vanilla cake with chocolate buttercream filling and whipped cream frosting with sprinkles. Perfect for any celebration!

Recipe yields 1 2-layer cake

Ingredients
Cake:
5 large egg whites
3/4 cup whole milk
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp unsalted butter

Whipped Cream Frosting:
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Buttercream Filling:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp heavy cream

Sprinkles, for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two round 8" pans by coating with butter and flour and lining with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together egg whites, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk until light and airy.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add softened butter and the remaining milk to the dry ingredients and mix using an electric mixer.

Gradually pour the egg mixture into the other ingredients, continuing to mix in between each addition. Divide the batter in half and pour into the prepared pans.

Place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes. Check cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean you are good to go. Remove cakes from oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, you can prepare you filling and frosting. Lets do the filling first. In a medium bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until smooth. You want the consistency to be ice cream like.

Add sugar and cocoa powder and beat until it has been completely incorporated with the butter.

Add the almond extract and heavy cream and continue to beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting isn't the consistency you desire, you can add more sugar to make it stiff or more cream to thin it out. Remember to add a little bit at a time when you are trying to get to where you want.

For the frosting, add heavy cream and sugar to a bowl. Beat on high speed until cream begins to thicken and forms stiff peaks on the mixers.

Once the cakes have cooled completely it is time to build our cake. Coat the top of one cake with the chocolate butter cream filling.

Top the edges of the second cake with the chocolate filling and then place it on top of other cake making sure both frosted sides match up.

Now cover the entire cake with the whipped cream frosting. I find it easiest to apply it roughly at first and then smooth it all out with a rubber or offset spatula.

Next I chose to cover the frosting with sprinkles, but that was more for a festive look and is totally optional.

Celebrate your special day (whether it is a blog milestone or just the first day of your favorite month!) Serve and enjoy!