You know what I realized this weekend? I haven’t posted a basic pumpkin cupcake recipe on my blog yet! How can that be, right? I’ve posted a bazillion other pumpkin recipes, including two other pumpkin cupcakes (but those were fancy), but not one that was just deliciously full of flavor and easy! Enjoy these Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with Acorns!
So this weekend, my daughter’s Girl Scout troop is having a bake sale and I decided to take this opportunity to whip up a batch of Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting topped with handmade candy acorns!
The recipes for these cupcakes come from Annie’s Eats… but I’ve made it even simpler omitting the mixer and just using bowls and a whisk!
I’ve seen similar acorns topping cupcakes that used mini Nilla Wafers as the “lid” to the acorn, but since I didn’t have access to the the mini’s Nilla’s here… my husband spotted the mini Nutter Butter bites and I think they worked even better with these acorns! The bites have a textured top which was more realistic and a peanut butter center which made attaching it to the Kiss even easier! No frosting “glue” required!
Not only are these cupcakes super simple to make and the acorns super fun and cute… this entire cupcake is so delicious! I will be bringing these to a Bake Sale today to support my daughter’s Girl Scout Troop! I hope they sell out!
Enjoy!
Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with Acorns
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 2 2/3 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, room temperature
Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1lb powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Acorns
- Hershey Kiss chocolate candies
- Nutter Butter Bites mini cookies
- Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Cupcakes
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth.
- One at a time, crack the eggs into the mixture and whisk until incorporated.
- In three parts, add the flour mixture and whisk just until combined. After all the flour has been added, give the batter a good 10 whisks. DO NOT OVER MIX though!
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Leave cupcakes in pan at least 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together.
- Add the sifted flour 1 cup at a time and beat until smooth.
- Mix in the vanilla and cinnamon.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high for 1 minute.
Acorns
- Unwrap the Hershey Kiss candies.
- Twist apart a Nutter Butter Bite. Using the side of the cookie that still has peanut butter on it, press it onto of the Kiss with the textured side up.
- Press a mini chocolate chip onto the center of the Nutter Butter Bite for the stem. The warmth from your fingers should just barely warm the chocolate enough for it to stick on the cookie.
- Arrange 2 acorns on top of each cupcake to garnish.
Amy Larson
Friday 30th of October 2020
Oh,I made these and they are fabulous! Thanks for sharing this incredible recipe! Gonna see what else you have....
Fairy Cakes Bakery
Thursday 15th of November 2012
I love the acorns! Very creative.
Betsy ~ @JavaCupcake
Thursday 15th of November 2012
<3 Thanks!
Amanda H
Sunday 4th of November 2012
I totally pinned this on my Fall board. Super cute & sounds yummy!