Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Latte Cupcakes
I have a couple kinds of scrumptiously fun cupcakes to share with you!
They were the morning brunch treat for a group of lovely ladies who gathered for a baby shower last weekend. The mama-to-be is a sweet family friend, also the wife of our pastor and piano teacher of our oldest daughter. We’re blessed to know Stephanie and are awaiting the birth of their precious firstborn. It was an absolute honor to create these cupcakes to celebrate this joy filled event in their life.
I wanted to provide a little flavor variety for the baby shower, so I came up with two different cupcakes, both falling into a coffee theme. Because a group of ladies gathered for brunch just screams coffee. Right?!?!
The first recipe I’ll be sharing with you is the Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Latte Cupcakes. These individual portions make for just the perfect fall treat, and would be a fun Thanksgiving dessert, too! The cake itself has some espresso powder mixed in, which provides grown-up depth, but not enough to deter any non-coffee lovers. Just ask our youngest daughter, who begged me not to take these cupcakes to the baby shower because she loved them so much! I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with the lofty swirl of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle of snickerdoodle-esque cinnamon and sugar. Tessa did, however, forgo the chocolate covered coffee beans. Which I can’t say I’m sad about, as they just got passed along to me. :wink:
(Stay tuned for a future post featuring the Salted Caramel Mocha Cupcakes!)
Like snickerdoodles? Be sure to also check out my (non-pumpkin) Snickerdoodle Cupcakes!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Latte Cupcakes
Ingredients
- for the spiced pumpkin espresso cupcakes:
- 2-1/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. white whole wheat flour or just use 1 c. additional all-purpose flour
- 2 c. sugar
- 3 T. espresso powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1.5 tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15- oz. can pumpkin puree not pre-spiced
- 1 c. unsalted butter melted
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- for the cream cheese frosting:
- 16 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 6 c. powdered sugar sifted
- for the finishing touches:
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 T. sugar
- 24 chocolate covered coffee beans
Instructions
for the spiced pumpkin espresso cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with 24 paper baking liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, sugar, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.
- In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir until just moistened. Divide batter between the 24 prepared cups.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted into centers of the cupcakes comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
for the cream cheese frosting:
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy. Add butter and beat again for another minute or two, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat just to combine. Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip (I used Ateco No. 808), pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
for the finishing touches:
- Mix together the cinnamon and sugar, and then sprinkle each frosted cupcake with this mixture. Press a chocolate coated coffee bean into the frosting of each cupcake.
- Store cupcakes in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes prior to eating.
Made these yesterday, hoping to make a cupcake version of an awesome Disneyland dessert. Maybe I over mixed the batter, because they came out more like muffins than cupcakes: bready and dense. Really yummy, but not what I think of when I think cupcake. Thanks for the recipe and I’d love to hear anyone’s advice.
Hi Heidi! These are not a big crumb cupcake. They are more dense.
Oh!! These look so lovely!!
holy moly! i can’t even imagine how good these are! yummy!
Oh my – yes please!! Your frosting is absolutely perfect!
So beautiful Brenda! I just can’t get enough pumpkin this time of year.
LOVE these, oh they are so pretty and I’m sure are beyond yummy!
These are absolutely beautiful, and the frosting looks superb! Cream cheese frosting is my favorite kind of frosting! :)
beautiful cupcakes! would be perfect for Thanksgiving
Love this idea for a baby shower! You are so creative. These cupcakes have all my favorite flavors…think I need to hit Starbucks today!
What a great idea, I love the concept of a more grown-up cupcake!! I’m actually hosting a brunch in early december and this would be the perfect little treat <3
Mercy! Not sure I could have shared those either but what a sweet way to show your friend how much you care. Love’em! xoxo
Hi Shari!! It was definitely a labor of love. She’s just so great, it was fun to make them for her special day.
Mmm what a treat! Love this idea – they’re perfect for fall!
Thanks Katrina!
These cupcakes are simply gorgeous and I’m dying to try them!
Thanks Milisa!
Lucky lucky ladies who were treated to these. Staying tuned for the Salted Caramel Mocha Cupcakes!
Thanks Paula. It was a fun treat, for sure.
i just want to bury my face in that frosting!
And you should. It’s mighty good!
Woah Mamma. Yes please.
:)
Gorgeous little cupcakes! Pumpkin, snickerdoodle, and latte flavors together is my kind of cupcake!
Thanks, Laura. :)
These are so impressive! I bet you made all the ladies at the baby shower very, very happy. :) Your piping is great and good job on not making it look like a pile of you-know-what, which seems to be the case when most people use that tip. And great combination of flavors! Yum.
Thanks, Erin. :)
These are so festive, Brenda, and gorgeous too! I bet they were a huge hit!
Thanks, Cassie. Yes, there were alot of smiles that morning. :)
Um, dying over these! What an amazing mix of flavors in these pretty cupcakes.
Thanks, Dara. They were alotta fun!