Outrageously moist pumpkin cupcakes topped with a sinful pumpkin PIE frosting!
Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup water
⅓ cup oil
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Pinch nutmeg
FOR FROSTING:
2 sticks butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream or milk
1 (32 oz) bag powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
About ⅓ of a prepared pumpkin pie (likewise, you could also use those pumpkin hand pies that are like a dollar at the store, or the Lil Debbie pumpkin "cookies" which are basically pumpkin pies, or miniature pumpkin pies at Trader Joe's), roughly chopped into smallish pieces -- you want around a cup total
Caramel sauce
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners; set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, pumpkin & spices with an electric mixer and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.
Evenly portion the batter among the muffin cups, filling about ¾ths full. Bake for approx. 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, vanilla and heavy cream until light. Gradually add the powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, until frosting is light and fluffy. If frosting becomes too thick, add a little more milk at a time.
Beat in the chopped pie pieces and the spices, just barely folding them in. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag attached either with a very large tip, or just frost by hand (otherwise, the pie pieces will clog your cake tip).
Top the frosted cupcakes with a drizzle of caramel sauce, and serve.
Recipe by The Domestic Rebel at https://thedomesticrebel.com/2013/11/12/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-pumpkin-pie-frosting/