Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes

A perfectly spiced chocolate pumpkin cupcake topped with a pumpkin spice frosting sprinkled with mini chocolate chips! 

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes
Perfect Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes

My Pinterventures



Say Gday Feature




As I was contemplating my next recipe, it occured to me that I hadn't posted a chocolate or a cupcake recipe. Shame on me! It was decided, a chocolate cupcake would be the next recipe to share. Just one teensy problem
stood in the way. I was craving pumpkin and spice.

I think this craving was jump started by a couple of things. My daughter, a pumpkin spice junkie, had just called to tell me about her first pumpkin spice latte of the season. Yes, she was that excited, this momentous occasion deserved a phone call to mom. She also posted a picture of herself and her beloved drink on facebook. It did look good.

Coupled with the fact that pumpkin flavored this, and pumpkin spice that, and pumpkin recipes were abounding at every corner I turned, there was no escaping. I was caught up in the pumpkin frenzy. The only way to fix this problem of wanting to share a chocolate cupcake recipe and curing my pumpkin spice craving, combine the two.

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes
Pumpkin, spice and chocolate makes everything nice!
And folks, we have a winner! The chocolate cupcake is tender with a perfect balance of pumpkin and spice. The frosting is a heavenly pumpkin buttercream sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. And with it's beautiful brown and orange autumn colors this is a wonderful treat to have at a fall bake sale, halloween party or on your Thanksgiving dessert list.

Are you having a pumpkin craving? What are your favorite pumpkin desserts? Is there a pumpkin dessert that makes its way onto your Thanksgiving table every year? I would love for you to share!


Perfect Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 14 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
1 and 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Butter – AKA 1 stick of butter*
3/4 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin – Plain, not pumpkin pie mix!
1/2 Cup Baking Cocoa
1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk
1 Egg
1 and 1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Frosting:
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter – Softened*
1/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Cup Mini Semi  Sweet Chocolate Chips for sprinkling on top of cupcakes


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in regular size cupcake pan.  Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter, sugar, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until fluffy.  Add egg, mix until incorporated. Starting and ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour and evaporated milk. Add a third of the flour mixture and then half of the milk each time, mixing well after each addition. Fill each liner 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, checking with toothpick test at 15 minutes. If toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, cupcakes are ready. If there is wet batter on toothpick, allow more baking time. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before frosting.

To make frosting, combine softened butter, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; using hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix until fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mix until thoroughly incorporated and creamy.

Frost completely cooled cupcake and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

*I used salted butter.


©Christy’s Cooking Creations. Please do not use my images without prior consent. Please link back to this post even if recreating and posting this recipe in your own words.



25 comments:

  1. Am excited to try these this weekend. They look so moist and yummy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get a chance to make them, they are really delicious! Thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  2. These look really delicious!! Saw these on the Pure Blog Love link party :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Nicole! Your meatball soup looks tasty as well!

      Delete
  3. Thank you for dropping by our Grand Opening of #PureBlogLove Link Party and Blog Hop!!! Loved your blog post and look forward to seeing you at 8 pm EST next Thursday!!
    Heidy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for hosting Heidy! It's a date, Thursdays at 8!

      Delete
  4. Your cupcakes sound wonderful. I love the pumpkin and chocolate combination. Perfect for fall. Yes, I am craving pumpkin too. I made pumpkin cookies last weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Dawn! It's definitely pumpkin craving season! Pumpkin cookies are on my list!

      Delete
  5. Oh my!! This is right what I want to eat now!! Pinning and thanking!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Elizabeth! They didn't last long here!

      Delete
  6. Thanks Christy for stopping by and sharing your fabulous recipe at Foodie Fridays. Shared and pinned :) Hope to see you again this week.
    Blessings,
    Shari

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would never have thought of putting chocolate and pumpkin together, but I am game to give these a try. They look delish!!

    Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Monday at Smart Party Planning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Catherine! I love sharing at Marvelous Monday-Smart Party Planning!

      Delete
  8. Found this delicious recipe through #FoodieFridays. Everything about this sounds and looks AWESOME! Pinned! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sarah! Thank you for visiting and pinning!

      Delete
  9. Stopping by from Say G'Day Saturday. Your cupcakes look delish.
    Annamaria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Annamaria, I enjoyed way too many of them!

      Delete
  10. I love anything pumpkin spice. I probably put it in way too many things. My name is Katie and I host Fall Into the Holidays, now open. All entries get pinned. I would love to have you link up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Katie, thanks for the invite! I would be happy to link up at Fall Into the Holidays, thank you for the invite and thanks for visiting!

      Delete
  11. Yummo! I just pinned this and am sharing at my Friday Favorites post. Thanks for joining the Say G’Day Saturday Linky Party!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Natasha for pinning and for picking the Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes for Friday Favorites! Always glad to link at Say G'Day Saturday Linky Party.

      Delete
  12. These sound so fabulous and don't help the cupcake craving I've had all weekend. You were my featured pick at the Merry Monday Linky party. Thanks so much for joining us this week and hope you'll visit again next week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have a constant cupcake craving LOL! Thank you for picking the Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes for your feature at Merry Monday Linky Party! I am definitely going to party at Merry Monday again!

      Delete
  13. Yum! so delicious!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Found you on the retro repin party.

    ReplyDelete