Wednesday, October 1, 2014

October is here y'all!

What better way to start off October than with something Pumpkin spiced?!


Today I have for y'all pumpkin spiced cupcakes with a maple cream cheese icing.

This is yet another recipe from the book "The Cupcake diaries", so again I actually won't be posting the recipe, but I will tell you my thoughts on this cake while baking it. Now, I realize I have stated before that I wasn't posting the recipes from this book because I feel it is such an amazing book, filled with great recipes, that you need to own it. While this is 100 percent true, it is also out of respect for them, their book, and well it is copy righted material.

If there is any recipe you are going to buy their book for, however, it should be for this pumpkin spice cupcake. I absolutely love cupcakes and pumpkin, but this cupcake has been my favorite one I have made from their book thus far!



This may sound a bit odd, but you know the bath and body works candle pumpkin cupcake? This cupcake reminds me of that. I know what you are thinking? Ew, a candle, well no the scent of the candle, the perfect amount of spices, to sweet butter-cream ratio in that candle, is this cupcake.



I used canned organic pumpkin puree for this recipe, though I am sure if you actually roasted your own pumpkin, homemade it would be even more incredible, I just don't have the patience needed to roast a whole pumpkin! Especially when I only need a cup of it, when I am the only one in this house that likes pumpkin! 






The usual mixing method for cakes is being used here. One thing I did notice is, the mix is super liquidy, I had thought the pumpkin would make it a bit thicker, but it didn't.











And mixin' away.


Now this icing is magical. Seriously now, cream cheese icing is like the number one and only icing you can pair with pumpkin, it is a unspoken rule. (Well almost). It is like red velvet cake, would you ever dream of putting any other icing on top of a red velvet cake? Absolutely not, nothing can compare to that amazing combination.


Just when you thought it couldn't get better than pumpkin spiced cupcakes with cream cheese icing, it did. Oh yes, it got better. A maple cream cheese icing! This icing is so fluffy, like a cloud, and the maple compliments the spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg perfectly. I am not joking around with this y'all, my taste buds have been blown away.



 One complaint that I have...


The only thing I must point out, and it was my only disappointment with these cakes, was that they came out so incredibly tiny!  These cakes barely rose at all! As you see the risen cake above and below, that was the amount of batter I scooped into the pan.


Normally these cupcakes will rise all the way to the top, and it is why I fill them 3/4 the way full and not all the way, however for these to have risen all the way they would have needed to be all the way full!


 Now, I thought this was the recipe to begin with.Yep, I thought the recipe was flawed, until a day or so later I baked some chocolate chip cookies, the recipe called for baking powder instead of soda, (and I use baking powder in cakes/cupcakes) and I realized the recipe that never fails me.... low and behold didn't rise! I was thinking, what the fuck is going on here?! And then I checked my baking powder... it has been expired for.... are you ready?

Guess how long??



A year! My baking powder was a year old! Now, why all my other cakes rose, and suddenly nothing is rising is beyond me, I suppose I got an extra year out of it, but it has finally taken a toll and is done, I threw the container out, and got a new one, needless to say. When you bake a lot, you just don't think to check that sort of thing, if all your recipes are turning out great. 


As you can see this cake looks kinda sad. I wanted to use all the icing because of the tiny cakes, I piled on more than needed to be, but I love icing, more than I should. :p


I for certain want to make this recipe again with baking powder that is non expired and actually makes the cakes rise!


         Overall though, a delicious cake and still my favorite I have made from that book!

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