Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes.  Do I have your attention? It is PSL season at Starbucks and that means Fall is right around the corner.  It certainly doesn’t feel like Fall in Texas right now, but I’ll take anything that means changing leaves and pumpkins are coming back in season.

 

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This recipe was originally published on September 13, 2018.  It was republished on September 29, 2022 with updates.

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Story Time

 

A classmate of Josh was a HUGE fan of pumpkin spice lattes and has been super excited for the season to begin.  Hearing about this guy’s passion for the tasty drink inspired me to use the remaining cake mix from Ben’s Funfetti Birthday Cake Pancakes to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake!

Plus, who doesn’t love pumpkin, spices, and whipped cream?  Add in some espresso and things are startin’ to get serious!  I love Pumpkin Pie, but ain’t nobody got time for that when you want a bite of Fall right this minute.  Luckily, these cupcakes are waayyy easier and just as autumnally delicious.

 

 

To the Recipe…

 

I browsed a few recipes and decided to make up the missing cake mix by adding:

• Baking soda as a leavening agent
• Dark brown sugar for added moisture and a hint of caramel flavor
• AP and cake flour to make up the bulk of the mix – Update: I also tried it with just cake flour.  Either works!

 

To get the pumpkin spice latte essence, I added espresso powder, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree.  To top off the seasonal treat, I made a stabilized whipped cream and dusted them with a blend of pumpkin pie spice and espresso powder. 

You may just want to use a full box of cake mix. While I’ve never tried this, in theory you should be able to nix the flour, baking soda, and sugar from this recipe and use that full box, plus the other listed ingredients. 

 

Print Recipe

 

Back to the Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes…

 

Sift together all of the dry ingredients.  Yep. Even the brown sugar. You won’t be able to get all of it through the sieve, but it will help break up the lumps.  Just dump anything that doesn’t get through into the bowl. Now whisk it all up to make sure the ingredients are well distributed.  

In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and use your hand blender to combine.  You’ll want to scrape the bowl down occasionally to make sure everything combines well.  I love the texture of this batter!  Fluffy, yet thick, and it scoops beautifully!

 

 

Bake Time

 

Now it’s time to scoop the batter.  I love using my #20 scoop to dole out cupcake and muffin batter.  Seriously, it will make your baking life so much easier! I’m a huge klutz and I make a huge mess whenever I’m in the kitchen.  The scoop also guarantees consistency!

Turns out, #20 is the perfect size for a muffin tin and they make a nice big ole walnut chocolate chip cookie.  Have I not mentioned these yet? I’ve made them a few times now and they always get rave reviews. Seriously the BEST cookies ever.

 

Stay focused, Colleen!

 

Scoop ‘em out and bake at 350℉ for 20 minutes.  That was the perfect amount of time for mine. They were nice and springy to the touch.  Always pay attention to the cupcake.  You may need to adjust your bake time by a minute or two.

 

Related Reading: Apple Pie Cupcakes

 

Top Tips for Cupcakes

 

• Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.  This will help everything blend nicely and give your cupcakes a nice texture.
• Scrape down your bowl often.  Ingredients can hide at the bottom of your bowl. Make sure everything gets blended!
• Place some dried rice (½ – 1 teaspoon) in the bottom of each cupcake cavity before adding your paper cases.
• Use a large cookie scoop to perfectly portion your cupcake batter.

 

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Making that Whipped Cream

 

After they were done cooling, I made a batch of stabilized whipped cream.  It’s very easy to make, just be sure to not let your gelatin mixture set before adding it to your cream. This whipped cream is great for cake decorating or using on a baked good that needs to look good and hold its shape for a while.  

I’ve frequently heard that you should temper your gelatin mixture with some of the cream to achieve a perfectly smooth consistency. Every single time I do this I end up with lumps. For me, as long as the gelatin is the right temperature (not hot, but not set), it works beautifully.

 

It’s also very  easy to over whip whipped cream. I like to get the party started with my hand mixer. Once it’s thickening, add the liquid gelatin and continue to beat until you see tracks in the cream. Then I switch to a balloon whisk and beat the poo out of it until I have soft, yet stable, peaks.

 

Fall Mini Cake

 

This cake batter also makes a great mini cake!  I filled three 4 inch cake pans halfway up and baked them for 25- 30 minutes.  There was enough batter leftover to make 10 cupcakes.  You can find my full mini cake tutorial in the video below!

I used an edible sugar sheet from Granary Kitchen to get this look. While they are no longer in business, you can purchase printed sugar sheets from Etsy or maybe even Amazon.

 

Related Reading: Five Spice Molasses Cookies

 

Enjoy!

 

Oh my goodness though.  These cupcakes are delish!!  I just ate one and I am so happy with how they turned out.  These pumpkin spice latte cupcakes are moist, light, and fluffy. They have a rich pumpkin pie flavor and the lightness of the whipped cream complements the little morsel quite nicely. 

 A bite of one of these tastes like Thanksgiving in a cupcake.  Go ahead and share this recipe with a friend.  Maybe one who will bake them for you!