Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

As a result of my pumpkin puree hoarding, I had a lot of pumpkin to experiment with. I thought about making a boozy pumpkin pie, but who has time on a Friday night to wait for dough to chill and then roll it out? Not me, I got happy hours to pre-game (kidding, kind of). I decided to compromise and make a pumpkin pie cupcake, with a graham cracker "crust" cake and a pumpkin pie "filling" frosting. This was originally a sober recipe, but I'm adding a boozy suggestion in parenthesis.

Total time: 45 minutes, includes letting cakes cool before frosting and drinking 2 glasses of sauvignon blanc.

VERDICT: The roommate liked it and has had multiple helpings. Flavor-wise, it captures the end of fall pretty well and pairs surprisingly well with red wine.

Pie "crust" cupcakes 

(adapted from s'mores cake, yields 12 cupcakes)

1 cup flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or whiskey vanilla extract)
1/2 cup milk (or cinnamon liqueur, I recommend Fireball)


1. Preheat oven to 400F. Take out butter, cream cheese, and eggs so that they come to room temperature.
2. Graham cracker crumbs: take out a bunch and blend into a fine powder by pulsing in a blender/food processor OR put in a ziploc bag and crush by hand.
3. Combine flour, cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla extract, then add the flour mixture and milk in alternate batches starting with the flour mixture.
5. Fill cupcake tin to about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400F.
6. Prepare the frosting: combine powdered sugar and spices, set aside. Mix the butter, cream cheese, and pumpkin puree, then add the sugar mixture and liqueur (if using). Make sure everything is evenly incorporated.
7. Let the cupcakes cool for 10-20 minutes before frosting.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting 

adapted from chow.com

1 stick unsalted butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar (plus extra if adding liqueur)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 can pumpkin puree
1 oz Fireball liqueur (optional)