It’s feeling like Fall!!! I love Fall. Do you love Fall?
I love Fall for a variety of reasons. The weather is one. Sitting outside and not sweating. Maybe by a firepit on a chilly night. Taking a brisk walk in shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Long sleeve dresses. Leggings. Booties. Gosh I love it.
My birthday is in the Fall (Sept. 26th) so that’s a nice Fall perk 🙂 and this year I’M TURNING 30! But that’s a topic for another time..
Of course, I LOVE Fall baking!! Everything pumpkin, apple, and cozy qualifies. S’mores too. You know, to go with the firepit.
Today, though, let’s talk about these PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES! One thing to know about me is I’m not the biggest cake fan. It’s a texture thing. It’s got to be a moist, flavorful cake. But I guess no one really likes dry cake, right?
Well, you’re in for MOIST cupcakes here. I know, the word moist, it’s the worst, but seriously there is no other word for it!! So let’s get used to it, ok? MOIST IS GOOD. Moist moist moist. We’ll make it a good thing 😀 The moistness (omg) comes from a combination of oil, applesauce, and the pumpkin.
The cake-part is conveniently dairy-free, and could easily be made vegan by subbing in flax-eggs for the eggs. For frosting, I made a dairy-free chocolate frosting for half of them, for me and others who are DF, and frosted the other half with my classic, dairy-full, buttercream. If you don’t need them to be dairy-free, I’d also recommend cream cheese frosting (This recipe is for carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting). SO GOOD! The frosting choice is yours!
I could keep talking about how much I love Fall & pumpkin, but you probably want to get baking. I get it. Let’s do it!!
Remember to tag @thefetchingfoodie on Instagram! I love to see & share your baking!Â
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes! (dairy-free, easily made vegan)
Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes
Ingredients:
The cake part:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 Tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup
2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)
4 eggs (sub flax eggs if vegan)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
The frosting:
Buttercream (Frosts about 1 dozen cupcakes. Can be easily doubled!)
1 stick butter (or vegan butter), room temperature
2 – 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Non-dairy Chocolate Frosting (Frosts about 1 dozen cupcakes. Can be easily doubled!)
1 stick vegan butter, room temperature
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2-4 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
First, let’s make the cupcakes.
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with baking liners. Set those aside.
2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and corn starch.
3) Into the dry ingredients, add the applesauce, oil, eggs, sugar, almond milk, and pumpkin. Fold the ingredients together gently until just combined. There shouldn’t be any flour-streaks, but also try to not overmix. Overmixing will make for tough cupcakes, and we want soft relaxed cupcakes, right?! 🙂
4) Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake them in the oven for 18-22 minutes. They’re done when you tap one lightly with your finger and it springs back.
5) Cool them for a few minutes in the muffin pan, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool them completely on a wire cooling rack. When they’re completely cool, it’s time to frost!
To make the frosting…
For the buttercream:
1) Using a hand-mixer, beat the butter so that it becomes fluffy.
2) Add half of the powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon of non-dairy milk. Mix at a low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
3) Add in the remaining sugar and 1 T milk. Mix at a low speed until the sugar is incorporated, and then a high speed for about a minute to create that silky smooth frosting. Add in the vanilla extract and beat once more.
4) I’d give it a taste, just to make sure the sweetness is how you want it.
5) Frost the cupcakes! I snip off a corner of a gallon-sized ziplock bag, put in your fav baking tip, fill the bag with frosting, and go to TOWN!
For the dairy-free chocolate frosting:
1) Using a hand-mixer, beat the vegan butter so that it becomes fluffy.
2) Add half of the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk. Mix at a low speed until the sugar is incorporated.
3) Add in the remaining sugar, cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk. Mix at a low speed until the sugar is incorporated, and then a high speed for about a minute to create that silky smooth frosting. Add in the vanilla extract and beat once more. If the frosting is too stiff, add in another tablespoon of milk. Beat with the mixer. Repeat until the frosting is how you like it!
4) I’d give it a taste, just to make sure the sweetness is how you want it.
5) FROST!
Happy Fall y’all!!
What do you like to make/bake/cook/do in the Fall?!
Remember to tag @thefetchingfoodie on Instagram! I love to see & share your baking!
Happy Baking, Have a FAB weekend!!!
xoxo
Amazing how these are dairy free!! they look amazing!