Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate and Pumpkin Frostings

By Love and Confections

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Frosting

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

Pumpkin Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2-1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Place wrappers in cupcake tins and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, or bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix together sugar, brown sugar and eggs on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add in oil, milk, vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. Mix on low until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Gradually add into wet mixture while on low, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
4. Using a cookie scoop or disher, scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins, 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the paper liners.
5. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in tins for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes and let cool on wire rack completely.
6. Chocolate Frosting Instructions: In large bowl with hand blender, or bowl of mixer with whisk attachment, mix butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Once incorporated whip on medium low and add in vanilla extract and milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Whip on medium to medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. If you live in a humid climate, or frosting does not hold shape, add sifted powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired piping consistency. Place frosting into a large piping bag fitted with an open round piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes as a base for the pumpkin frosting. If desired, garnish chocolate frosting with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. Can be refrigerated while making pumpkin frosting.
7. Pumpkin Frosting Instructions: In large bowl with hand blender, or bowl of mixer with whisk attachment, mix butter and shortening together until completely combined. Add in salt, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice and mix on low until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Once incorporated whip on medium low and add in vanilla extract and milk, starting with 1/2 tablespoon and adding more after incorporating powdered sugar. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Add in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, starting with 4 cups. Once combined, whip on medium to medium-high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. If you live in a humid climate, or frosting does not hold shape, add sifted powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired piping consistency. If necessary, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon milk. Place frosting into a large piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.
8. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Yield: 24 cupcakes