Pumpkin Cupcakes with Ginger-Infused Whipped Cream Frosting

October 14th, 2007

Have I got your attention now? My mouth has FULL attention on these cupcakes! These cupcakes are so moist and melt-in-your-mouth! And the frosting, it’s the best frosting I’ve ever made (which I guess isn’t saying that much) but it’s up there on the best I’ve tasted list.

The pumpkin and spices in the cupcake blend so well with the ginger-infused whipped cream. You probably wouldn’t believe that this whipped cream frosting is good, and to be honest, by itself it’s pretty bad. My wife’s face did a 360 when she licked the spoon. I told her, “You have to try it WITH the cupcakes!” Here’s how it should be done:

The Frosting

A year ago I read an article in the Oregonian about flavor-infused whipped cream. I just tucked it away in my memory banks for a rainy day. Today was that day. I whipped out the recipe and got to work. The article/recipe lists a bunch of different flavors you can use, which makes this fun! I decided that the ginger would go really well with the pumpkin and other spices.

I boiled the cream and added the flavorings. I cut up a few thin slices of ginger and also threw in two cinnamon sticks for good measure. Next I let it steep for 45 minutes. Then, because I didn’t have enough time, I put the cream on an ice bath and put it in the refrigerator while I worked on the cupcakes. This REALLY cut down the cooling time called for in the recipe so if you’re in a hurry, it’ll do!

The Cupcakes

(Recipe adapted from here, here and Better Homes and Garden’s 2005 Cook Book Spice Cake Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk (I used whipping cream + skim to make whole)
• 1 - 15 oz can pumpkin (I used Stahlbush Island Farm “Farmer’s Market” brand Organic Pumpkin)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger together and mix in a bowl
3. Beat the butter until “fluffy”
4. Add the sugar and mix
5. Add half of the dry mixture, then half the milk, repeat while mixing
6. Mix in the pumpkin, stirring the sides with a spatula (if you are using an electric mixer).

Now fill about 24 cupcake tins (lined — and I did 12 at a time twice) half-way and bake for about 15 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).

Back to the frosting…

Now take the completely cooled flavor-infused whipping cream out of the fridge and place it in a clean mixer. Add about 4 oz of cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar per cup of whipping cream. Whip the cream until it is fairly thick, so that you can ice the cupcakes with it. Now you’re ready to put it all together.

The finale!

I had a lot of fun with this part. I handed my wife the camera and got to icing. I had to hand-make a piping/icing bag, for the first time ever. I made it way too short and got icing all over my hands, it was really fun though!

Take a cupcake, fill an icing bag and have fun. That’s my advice. I even made a little R + K in the cupcakes for my wife (I gotta keep her happy)!

I hope you enjoy it!