Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Rum Frosting

These delicious spiced cupcakes flavored with real pumpkin are topped with a decadent maple rum buttercream frosting!

When my husband was tasked to bring dessert in for a company holiday lunch last year, I immediately took to the kitchen to make a pumpkin recipe of some sort. I am bad for hoarding dessert recipes, but even worse with pumpkin recipes and I know they are more welcome in the fall than any other time of the year. I personally like them any day of the year, but some people look at you like you're crazy to give them a pumpkin cupcake in July. Same with if you offered someone a peppermint treat in April...even though peppermint is also good any time of the year.

I chose to make these cupcakes because of the maple rum frosting. That's not necessarily my go-to thought when I think of what to pair with pumpkin. I knew that Nick would love it and thought it would make for a great recipe for him because he loves maple anything and rum is his favorite liquor. While I was not necessarily the biggest fan of the frosting, I loved the spices in the cupcake. Nick loved the maple rum frosting. It was really fluffy and he said the maple and rum complimented each other perfectly. They were a huge hit at the office too!

(Print)
What you need:
For the cupcakes:

•  1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

For the frosting:

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. spiced rum
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. maple extract
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

1. For the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugars until they are light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mix until combined. Scrape sides if needed. Add vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Add a third of the flour then half of the buttermilk. Repeat and then finish with the last of the flour mixture. Beat until combined.
5. Add pumpkin puree and beat until smooth. Do not overmix. 
6. In a muffin pan lined with paper liners, fill each cup 2/3 of the way.
7. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Rotate the pans halfway through baking.
8. Cool on wire racks completely before frosting.
9. For the frosting: while the cupcakes are cooling, using a double boiler over simmering water, whisk together egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves all the way - about 5 minutes.
10. Pour the sugar mixture into a mixer bowl and beat on high using the whisk attachment until the bottom feels cool to the touch and stiff peaks have formed.
11. Add butter by the tablespoon, beating until well combined before adding another. If it looks soupy, chill in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before continuing to beat.
12. After all the butter has been added, remove the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment. Beat on high until light and fluffy about 5 minutes. It may look curdled at some point and that is okay - just keep beating...beating...beating!
13. When buttercream is fluffy, add rum, maple syrup, maple extract, and cinnamon. Beat until well combined.
14. Pipe the buttercream frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Recipe from The Busty Baker

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