Fall in Southern California is denoted by one thing…when they start selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks (we don’t have seasons here). When I found the recipe for a cupcake version of the PSL a few years ago I almost died I was so excited.

These have become a fall favorite!

The pumpkin makes the cake super moist, and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is heavenly all on it’s own.

I prefer to make these as mini cupcakes, then you can just pop them into your mouth and experience all of the flavors at once.

Recipe is from Allrecipes.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup milk (I use Lactaid 2% Milk)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use my homemade Indonesian Vanilla Extract)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line mini muffin pan with mini paper muffin liners.

1. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2. Beat 1/2 cup of butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg.
3. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into mini muffin pan lined with mini muffin papers.
5. Bake at 375 until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed — about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Make frosting. Beat the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy.
7. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.

Enjoy!