Browned-Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I am really not a lover of frosting. I used to hate cupcakes because they were loaded with frosting and had very little cake... my favorite part. Then I discovered the reason why I have never liked frosting is because I never had good frosting. I am convinced that most grocery store cakes/cupcakes are topped with plastic infused frosting because that's what it tastes like.


This frosting on the other hand is not only the perfect compliment to this tasty fall cupcake, but also tastes good all by itself. I actually licked the spatula when I was done! (Ok, maybe I didn't, but I should have).


My amazing sister-in-law Jenna on the other hand hates chocolate. When I saw this recipe on Pinterest for Brown-Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, I knew I needed to make it for her Birthday this week! As an added bonus, she loves pumpkin and her birthday is in Autumn. Bingo!

Adapted from Baked Perfection
Makes roughly 18 cupcakes

Here's what you need:

Cupcake:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs

Frosting:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat Oven to 325 F

Prepare your cupcake pan

Here's what you do:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir butter occasionally until it turns a beautiful golden brown.
• While the butter is browning, find a medium bowl to mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
• Add browned butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs to a large mixing bowl/kitchen aid and mix until well-combined.
• Slowly add the floury mixture to this and stir well.
• Pour into cupcake pans, filling each roughly 3/4 of the way.
• Bake each pan for 20 min.

• While cupcakes are baking, beat butter and cream cheese until the two become one... :)
• Slowly add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until it looks like cinnamon speckled frosting.
• After cupcakes have melted, frost cupcakes and lick spatula at the VERY end. (This is the crucial step I forgot)

I don't have all the special tools needed to frost cupcakes, so I little trick my mom, and probably many others use.

Here is how I frosted the cupcakes:

• Cut off a very small piece of the bottom corner of a zip-lock bag.
• Add frosting to bag and seal the top.
• Use the corner of the bag you cut-off as your tip.
• Make a spiral around the top of the cupcake.

There you have it, a tasty fall treat that will brighten anyone's day and add a few inches to our waistlines!

Enjoy!