pumpkin chai cupcakes with cinnamon bourbon frosting
We all be knowing the motto kids: if there’s bourbon in the hood, we’re slappin’ it in a baked good.
God fuck, that was so bad.
But what’s not bad? Cupcakes on a Friday. Better yet, spiked cupcakes on a Friday. If this week’s felt longer than a spool of string wrung out of its shape by a cat’s curious claws, you definitely deserve to kick back with a treat. And it’s fall, so only appropriate that it’s got some punkin in it, no?
These cupcakes came to me on a whim – okay, the cupcakes themselves didn’t, I wasn’t visited by no cupcake stork or some shit, the idea came to me on a whim – and I am so glad I ran with them. Cozy sweets for mellow days, for sharing with others or hoarding for emergencies. I hadn’t baked cupcakes since my Grown-Up Funfetti Cupcakes (which, lo and behold, also boasted a bourbon-infused cap) so it felt like the right time, yo.
With some of us eyeing Thanksgiving already, too, they’re a good treat to slide into your recipe binder for the big food holiday.
Soft chai-spiced pumpkin cake, boozy cream cheese frosting…Little better. Easy to make, easier to eat. And since there’s alcohol in them, you can squirrel them away from the kids with the relevant claim that they’re an adult dessert.
Begging You to Chai Them
The pumpkin cupcake base hearkens to my Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread – it’s a very similar batter, with a few additions.
First, the wet ingredients. Beat a stick of butter with brown sugar and a whole can of pumpkin. Yep yep, no guessing what to do with the rest of a rogue batch of puree. Whip in a couple eggs, then some vanilla.
Then, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chai spice. I combine cinnamon, ginger, clove, and cardamom to achieve the chai profile. With your mixer running, stream in a touch of buttermilk. Gives the cupcakes an extra floof factor and makes them nice and tender.
Line a muffin tin with parchment or paper liners. The batter should be quite thick, so you’ll need to scoop rather than pour. Fill each tin 2/3 of the way full with batter. You might get a baker’s dozen of these, instead of a prim and proper 12. Hey, an extra for you to enjoy.
Pop the dudes in the oven until nice and risen and no longer liquidy. Let them cool a few minutes in the tins, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. If you need to expedite this process, a 15 minute trip to the freezer will get them chilled enough to decorate.
Bourbon or Bust
Make sure the cupcakes are totally cool. Like, hanging out with the popular crowd, not the nerds. If they’re even the least bit warm, they’ll melt all the beautiful frosting. Not ideal.
You’ll see in the recipe card that I start with cold cream cheese. Cream cheese frostings are more volatile than pure buttercreams, so the whipping process will warm the CC up enough to make it soft and pliable without turning the entire thing into goop.
With your mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on low speed until combined. Add in some bourbon and vanilla, mixing to incorporate, then work 1/2 cup at a time with the powdered sugar to get it to hang out with the liquids. Mix in your cinnamon, then CRANK THAT SHIT UP to high and beat the frosting until very fluffy and smooth. This whole process will take you about 5 minutes or so.
You can decorate the cupcakes however you’d like. I use a star tip on my piping bag, but you can use whatever tip you fancy, or just slap it on with a frosting knife. No method is wrong, just depends on your experience level and how much you care about aesthetic.
Can you make these ahead of time? Sure can! I recommend storing cooled cupcakes unfrosted for up to 3 days ahead of time. You can frost them first, but you’ll need to refrigerate the guys since the frosting will destabilize at room temperature. Still tasty, but less structured.
Can’t go wrong here, can you? They’re pretty rad. Like you. So you should make ’em.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Pumpkin treats to crave:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pumpkin Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cookie Pie
pumpkin chai cupcakes with cinnamon bourbon frosting
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
cinnamon bourbon frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese, cold
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp bourbon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with parchment cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the brown sugar and pumpkin until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom, and salt. With the mixer running, stream in the buttermilk until the batter is just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the centers are set and an inserted toothpick emerged with just a few moist crumbs. Cool 5 minutes in the tins, then move to a wire rack. Cool completely.
- When the cupcakes are completely cool, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and the butter on low speed until fluffy. Add the bourbon and vanilla, mixing to combine. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, keeping the mixer on low speed. When the frosting begins to come together, crank up the motor to high, add the cinnamon, and whip until very fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping back with your choice tip attached. Frost each cupcake generously. Garnish with a star anise, as desired.
