I would be remiss if I let October slip away without posting a pumpkin recipe! These slightly decadent, deeply spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing are just one of the reasons why I harbor a soft spot for the official arrival of the fall pumpkin season. Although you won't find me ordering a pumpkin spiced latte. As I much prefer to get my pumpkin fix in something baked. Like pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin squares, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, but especially pumpkin muffins.
What I love about these Pumpkin Muffins w/ Cream Cheese Icing is their texture and flavor. Slightly denser but yet almost as light as a cupcake, these muffins are satisfying completely unadorned or heavily slathered in a luscious cream cheese icing.
The use of a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour is what contributes to their slightly dense texture. Dark brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger not only create the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, but they help create a richer tasting and looking muffin.
Unlike a pumpkin cupcake which usually requires hauling out the kitchen aid mixer, pumpkin muffins require only a couple of bowls, a whisk, and a spatula.
Wet and dry ingredients are blended separately before they are mixed together.
Having a slightly thick texture, the muffin batter is scooped into a cupcake tin lined with cupcake papers. Because the muffins rise perfectly, you can fill the cupcake papers to the top.
Placing the muffins in a preheated 425 degree (F) oven and baking for five minutes (before reducing the temperature down to 350 degrees), is what helps activate the baking powder and subsequent rise. Once the oven temperature is reduced, the muffins continue to bake for additional 20-24 minutes.
You can wait until your muffins are cooling before you make the creamiest, dreamiest Cream Cheese Icing. And while you didn't need your standing or handheld mixer to make the muffins, you will need one of them to make this luscious icing. Personally I love a high icing to 'cake or muffin' ratio. This recipe makes enough (and then some) for this to happen. Remember to let your muffins cool completely before icing them (or your icing will slide off and/or melt slightly).
Once iced place the pumpkin muffins on a platter or tray and place in the refrigerator. Once the icing has set, you can carefully wrap with plastic wrap.
Feel free to adorn the finished cupcakes with some sprinkles or serve them 'naked'. I have made them both ways and honestly can't decide which finish I like best.
I thought the flavor of these Pumpkin Muffins was incredible the day they were baked. And it was. But the flavor on day two was even better.
For some slightly irrational decision, I might feel a tad guilty, for about a millisecond, eating a cupcake for breakfast, but I have no such thoughts when eating a muffin in the morning. Even one topped with an icing. Which makes love these Pumpkin Muffins w/ Cream Cheese Icing even more. And if there was ever a muffin you might to eat year round (especially if you are a pumpkin lover), this would be the one. So stock up now on canned pumpkin so you can enjoy them well after the 'pumpkin' season has ended.
Recipe
Pumpkin Muffins w/ Cream Cheese Icing
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
Pumpkin Muffins
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (260g) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
15 ounce (425g) can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 cups (198g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (66g) whole wheat flour (see notes)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 slightly rounded teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Cream Cheese Icing
12 ounces (339g) cream cheese, room temperature or slightly softened
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups (600g) confectionary sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
Optional: Sprinkles
Directions
Pumpkin Muffins
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F). Place cupcake papers in the cupcake pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, dark brown sugar, canola oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin until blended. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, allspice and Kosher salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently whisk until blended. Do not over beat.
5. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop the muffin batter into the cupcake papers. You will fill them to the top.
6. Place the muffin pan on a large baking sheet and insert into the oven. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees (F).
7. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees (F) and continue baking for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean or maybe with only one or two crumbs.
8. Remove from the oven and place muffin pan on a cooling rack. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes before removing.
9. Place the muffins on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until well blended and creamy (about 3 minutes).
2. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in.
3. In 3 to 4 additions, add in the confectionary sugar. Beat the icing until thick and creamy.
4. Use a pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip to ice the muffins. Alternately top each cupcake with a generous amount of icing and use an offset spatula to spread. Optional: Sprinkle the top of the icing with some sprinkles.
5. Place the iced pumpkin muffins on a tray. Chill the muffins in the refrigerator to let the icing set up. Once the icing has set, loosely cover the muffins to they stay fresh.
Notes: (1) Instead of using a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour, you can use only all-purpose flour. The texture of muffins made with the two flours is slightly more dense and less cupcake like.