Hi everybody!!!

My favorite season is just around the corner and I couldn’t wait more to start making something with pumpkin. I’m a huge fan of Fall and Halloween. I’ve started decorating my house for like 2 weeks now.

I love coffee… I love pumpkin… I already had like 3 pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks lol … I know… I love it!! So, I wanted to bake something for the birthday celebration of my sister -in-law and decided to make these cupcakes.

This is a very easy recipe. If you follow each step, you’ll have delicious cupcakes to share with your friends and family.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Coffee cupcakes
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. espresso powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (I like to use the Trader Joe’s brand)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup  vegetable oil
4 large eggs (room temperature)
½ cup coffee or espresso, for brushing

For the  whipped cream frosting
2¼ cups heavy cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

To decorate:
Ground cinnamon

Pumpkin candies or sprinkles or chocolate covered espresso beans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners (I used brown ones). In a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two/three additions, mixing just until incorporated. Please, do not overmix.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans. While the cupcakes are still warm, brush them two or three times with the coffee or espresso, allowing the first coat to soak in before repeating. Let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I always put my whisk attachment in the fridge before using it). Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually increasing to high speed. Blend in the confectioners’ sugar little by little. Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat. Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip to frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and decorate it with a pumpkin candy, sprinkles or a chocolate covered espresso bean.

Enjoy!!!