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–+ servings

Apple Butter Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting

4.48 from 42 votes
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Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 24 -48+ cupcakes
Author: The American Patriette

Ingredients

  • FOR CUPCAKES:
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter softened
  • 2 c granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 c milk don't use skim, but you can use 1%, 2% or whole
  • 1 c apple butter homemade or store-bought - doesn't matter!
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • -----------------------------------------------
  • FOR PUMPKIN BUTTERCREAM:
  • 1 stick unsalted butter softened
  • 1/3 c unsweetened pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Dashes of: ginger allspice, cloves, and nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp shortening
  • 3.5 c powdered sugar

Instructions

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUPCAKES:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • With a stand or a hand mixer, cream together 10 tbsp softened butter and granulated sugar.
  • Begin mixing in one egg at a time.
  • Add flour a bit at a time, mixing between additions (I typically add in about 1/2 c at a time).
  • Add baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and continue to thoroughly mix. Scrape the sides of the bowl periodically to ensure everything gets blended properly.
  • Mix in milk, apple butter, and vanilla.
  • Once your batter is well-blended, pour into cupcake liners, leaving just a little bit of room (maybe about 1/4 of an inch) between the top of the batter and the top of the liner.
  • After you fill all the liners in the cupcake tin, place the cupcake tin on the middle rack and bake according to the size of cupcakes you're making.*
  • Once the cupcakes are finished baking (toothpick comes out clean from testing the center cupcake), remove them from the baking tin and set them on a cooling rack.
  • Repeat steps 8-10 with remaining cupcake batter.
  • Once they're fully cooled, you can top them off with the pumpkin buttercream frosting.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUMPKIN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

  • Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together 1 stick softened butter and pumpkin puree. Add in shortening and continue mixing.
  • Add spices and mix.
  • Pour in sugar - about 1/2 c at a time - and allow it to cream together with the other ingredients. Once the frosting is smooth with no lumps of sugar, it's ready to frost onto the cupcakes!

Notes

*IMPORTANT: If you're making regular-sized cupcakes (12 cupcakes per cupcake tin), bake them for 22 minutes at 350. If you're making mini-cupcakes (24 cupcakes per cupcake tin), bake them for 18 minutes at 350. [br][br]You'll likely get a little more than 24 regular-sized cupcakes or a little more than 48 mini-cupcakes with this batter. The frosting amount will be plenty whether you decide to make regular-sized cupcakes or mini ones!