Pumpkin Cupcakes with Buttermilk Icing

I posted on Facebook that I was going to be making these and people expressed a lot of interest! I wish I could have delivered some to each of my friends but some of them are just too far away (Tennesee and Texas!). I was able to catch my friend Bruce before he left his shift at work. I think he liked them...he ate both before I left, a great compliment to a baker.

My friend Anna mentioned that she was looking for something more cake like than muffin like. These are really wonderful little cupcakes. Definitely more cakey than muffiny and topped with a simple tangy icing. The recipe says that you can top them with cream cheese frosting if you want but I like the simplicity of the icing, it doesn't take away from the pumpkin flavor of the cupcakes.

I think you will really like these my foodie friends!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Buttermilk Icing
Source: Chow
Yield: 48 cupcakes (I halved this recipe)

4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups canned pumpkin purée
1 cup whole milk (I used buttermilk)
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Buttermilk Icing
2 cups powder sugar
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange the rack in the middle. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk together pumpkin and milk in a separate bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time, beating and then scraping the bowl down after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with pumpkin-milk mixture, mixing on low speed, and scraping the bowl down between additions. When all ingredients have been added, mix batter 30 seconds on medium-high speed until uniformly combined.

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake until a tester inserted in cupcake centers comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.

To make the icing just whisk together the three ingredients.

Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from the pans. Let cool completely on a rack, decorate with icing, and serve.