Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

For me, October is the beginning of a baking season filled with pumpkin and spices--a season that lasts through the end of November and culminates, of course, in Thanksgiving. Once December rolls around, I'm more focused on peppermint and chocolate and Christmas candies. But for these two months of fall baking, pumpkin is the leading flavor. These pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes combine the flavor of pumpkin pie but also feature dark chocolate chips and smooth cream cheese frosting, The combination is fantastic--if you're skeptical about pumpkin and chocolate together, don't be!
I decorated my cupcakes with bright orange sprinkles, but you could top these cupcakes with candy corn, candy pumpkins, candied pecans, more chocolate chips, or any number of festive toppings.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 32 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups canned pumpkin
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves or allspice
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Directions:
1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard size muffin tin with cupcake liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2.       Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
3.       Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on low until combined, then add half of the buttermilk. Add the next 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the rest of the buttermilk, then the remaining flour mixture, mixing after each addition.
4.       Add the pumpkin and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
5.       Pour batter into the paper liners (filling about ¾ full) and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1.       Using an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in vanilla extract.
2.       Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth, until frosting reaches the desired consistency.

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