Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Fluff Frosting

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm so excited to bring my little monkey door to door for candy this evening. Yes, I'm aware he can't really eat any of the candy yet, but his mommy can...

So, I'm obsessed with these cupcakes. Not only do they scream FALL (pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc., etc.) but they have my new favorite frosting on them! Cream cheese and marshmallow fluff. Mixed together. And on top of these babies. I'll clean up that drool for you...

The cupcakes themselves are perfectly moist and full of that fall pumpkin flavor that you see everywhere this time of year. A little cinnamon and nutmeg really go a long way in these cupcakes, and the sweet frosting balances everything out. Definitely make these today! For Halloween! Go!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes

• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin purée 
• 2 recipes Cream Cheese Fluff Frosting (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line 2 (12-well) muffin pans with paper liners. Alternatively, coat the wells with vegetable oil; set aside.

Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

Place the sugar and measured oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the sugar is incorporated, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.

Return the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, about 1 1/2 minutes total mixing time. Reduce the speed to medium low, add the pumpkin, and beat until just combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle with a rubber spatula.

Turn the mixer to low speed, slowly add the flour mixture, and beat until almost completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in any unincorporated flour at the edges with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape to the bottom of the bowl.

Fill the muffin wells three-quarters of the way (about a heaping 1/4 cup per well). Place the muffin pans side by side in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the pans front to back and side to side and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 10 minutes more.

Place the pans on wire racks and let them cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on the racks.

Frost with Cream Cheese Fluff Frosting. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from CHOW