Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

I keep thinking that I will eventually get tired of all the pumpkin.  And yet, I don't.  I just keep adding more and more cans of pumpkin to my cart every time I go to the grocery store.  If I get really brave, I might actually figure out how to use an actual pumpkin, but let's not get crazy. 

Allow me to introduce you to the cupcake to end all cupcakes... The Pumpkin Pie Cupcake with Whipped Cream frosting.  It is one of those recipes that I will return to over and over again.  And I owe all the thanks in the world to Your Cup of Cake, which is quickly becoming my favorite website.  Move over Facebook, I've got cupcakes to bake.  I made a few small adaptations to the recipe, but nothing epic. 

 
For the cupcakes you will need:

24 Golden Oreos (of which you are only going to use the half with the cream)

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

15 ounces pumpkin puree (this is the small can - not pumpkin pie mix)

2-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

For the  frosting you will need:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup of sifted confectioners' sugar

Your sifted topping of choice:  cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice 

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  Line your cupcake tins with cupcake liners.  This recipe gave me 24 cupcakes. 
3.  Split your Golden Oreos in half.  Add one Golden Oreo half (the cream side, of course!) to each cupcake liner.
4.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla extract. Mix together until they are all combined, but the trick here is to not over mix the batter.
5.  Add to your wet ingredients the granulated and light brown sugars.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Then add your pumpkin and stir until that is mixed in with your wet ingredients as well.
6.  In a separate bowl, sift together all of your dry ingredients:  the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and all of your spices.  Use your whisk to make sure the spices are thoroughly incorporated into the flour.
7.  Add your dry ingredients to the bowl with your wet ingredients.  Stir them *only* until they are combined.

8.  Fill your cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full.  One of the things that I love most about these cupcakes is that they don't puff up huge big.  There is definitely a time and place for huge big fluffy, but these almost have a more muffin consistency in that they are a little more dense.  And delicious.  And wonderful.
9.  Bake for 17-25 minutes.  Insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean, you are good to go.

After you remove them from the oven and they are happily cooling, you can make the frosting.  There are a million recipes out there that would be great for these.  I have made them with cinnamon cream cheese frosting and a simple vanilla buttercream frosting, but I love the whipped cream frosting best for these.

1. Make sure that your ingredients are cold, cold, cold.  I usually pour the whipping cream into the bowl and then stick the bowl into the freezer for 10-15 minutes while I sift my confectioners' sugar.  This will allow for the stiff peaks that are ideal for your frosting. 
2.  Using a whisk attachment or if you have arms like Popeye and want to whisk it yourself, whisk the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  You want the peaks to stand up on their own. Then carefully add the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. 
3.  Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe on your frosting.  I switch around with the tips that I use for this, but I love the round tip that I got at Bake It Pretty.  You can't go wrong.
4.  Then sift on your topping of choice.  I sift because when I sprinkle, it gets clumpy.  But you might have better sprinkling skills than I do.  It could happen. 

These cupcakes are just as delicious as they are pretty.  What are you waiting for?  You need to buy some pumpkin!