Spice Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Spice Cake Cupcakes with a decadent Cream Cheese Frosting! This is one of my all-time favorite fall desserts! They’re perfectly moist and brimming with all the sweet autumn spices.

I wanted to make a special dessert that screamed fall but didn’t have pumpkin. My solution? Spice cake cupcakes!

There’s something so enticing about the combination of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. Every year as soon as the hint of fall weather hits the air, I can’t resist tossing them into almost everything I bake. All the delicious flavors during those months are enhanced by them, pumpkin, apple, pear…but sometimes, I really just want that spice combo to shine!

These spice cupcakes are exactly that, a celebration of warm autumn spices, in scrumptious cupcake form. And…since you can’t have spice cake without a delectable icing, I topped these cupcakes with the most delicious and tangy cream cheese frosting that’s ready to pipe in 5 minutes.

These cupcakes will be a hit at any fall or winter gathering, especially a holiday party. But really you could eat them all year round. 

If you try these spice cake cupcakes, please don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below, I love hearing from you!

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Spice Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting


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  • Author: Shamila Sobers
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 18 cupcakes

Description

Spice Cake Cupcakes with a decadent Cream Cheese Frosting! This is one of my all-time favorite fall desserts! They’re perfectly moist and brimming with all the sweet autumn spices.


Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 3/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 18 cupcake liners

  • 18 pumpkin toppers (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 12 oz cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, nearly at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a muffin tin with 18 cupcake liners and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cloves for 20 seconds, set aside.
  4. Pour brown sugar into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Break up brown sugar with fingertips until no clumps remain. 
  5. Pour in vegetable oil and applesauce, set mixer with paddle attachment and blend until well combined (occasionally stop and scrape bowl throughout mixing process). 
  6. Mix in eggs and vanilla. 
  7. Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined, then blend in buttermilk, then add remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until well combined. 
  8. Divide mixture evenly among 18 cupcake liners filling 3/4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. 
  9. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.

For the frosting:

  1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. 
  2. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended.
  3. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag, and frost. Or frost with a knife. Top with pumpkins.

Notes

You can adjust the amount of spices used here to suit your taste.

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by mixing 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar with enough milk to equal 1 cup. Whisk and let rest for 5 minutes before using.  

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes

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November 11, 2021

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