Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Basic white bitch here, and I don't care who knows it. It's fall, and I want pumpkin. There, I said it. I don't know why there's so much pumpkin hate all of a sudden, but I say, find any pleasure you can in this cataclysmic world that is 2020 right now. I prefer to have my happiness slathered with some cream cheese frosting, thank you very much. 

This recipe makes a three layer 9-inch round cake or 24 cupcakes (plus a little extra). 

For the batter:

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 c pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

3 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

3 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt 

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 c buttermilk 

1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare cupcake pans with liners and grease a small pan (I usually do 6 in) for the extra batter. 

2. In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together oil, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. 

3. Add in vanilla extract and the eggs, mixing to incorporate after each egg. 

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. 

5. Pour 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix to combine. 

6. Pour 1/2 of the buttermilk into sugar mixture and combine. 

7. Pour another 1/3 of dry ingredients. 

8. Pour second 1/2 of buttermilk. 

9. Pour in last 1/3 of dry ingredients. 

10. Distribute into pans and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

11. Allow to cool completely before topping with frosting. 

For the frosting:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

12 oz (1 1/2 boxes) cream cheese, room temp

5 ish c powdered sugar

Splash of vanilla

Pinch of salt  

Splash of milk or cream (optional)

1. Put butter and cream cheese into stand mixer fitted with paddle (or whisk) attachment and start to add in powdered sugar slowly to incorporate. Start with about 4 c, and see how you like the texture. You can always add more. 

2. Add in vanilla and salt. Whip for a few minutes until fluffy. You can add a splash of milk if it's too thick. *This is a pretty thick frosting though, because cream cheese. 

3. Put in a pastry bag with your desired tip and frost the cupcakes. *I actually just snipped a big whole in my pastry bag and went to town; didn't use a tip. I feel like there's a that's what she said joke in there somewhere. 

4. Please ask me how much frosting I made the first time and why I ended up with an entire pastry bag still full at the end of all my frosting...