Pumpkin Cupcake with Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting

I discovered Pumpkin Pie Almonds. I am in love, well, I was already in love with anything pumpkin and pumpkin spice, adding the almonds only deepens my love! I didn’t know these wonderful creations existed, but of course like anything if you google it you’ll than feel like you must be the only one that didn’t know they existed. There are recipes for Pumpkin Spiced Almonds all over the net. If you are as clueless as I was, let me bring you into the light. They take almonds spike them with pumpkin spices a little something sweet and bake away. Check out Chelsey recipe at Clean Eating Chelsey its delicious, think Football Sunday snack, Halloween sustenance while handing out candy or Thanksgiving nibbles.

Anyway with my new love not far from my mind while I was shopping at The Fresh Market I stumbled past a basket filled with… you guessed it Pumpkin Spiced Almonds, but they even went a step further and coated them with a pretty orange or brown confection. OMG….DELICIOUS! So to pay homage to my new love I made them this sweet pumpkin cupcake that I topped with a Amaretto Cream Cheese Frosting….. DELICIOUS!

Cupcake:

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin pree
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self-rising flour (don’t have self-rising – recipe to make your own below)
grated rind of 1 lemon
8 amaretti cookies, crushed
5 tablespoons 2% milk

Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Disaronno (Amaretto liquor)
3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Pumpkin Pie Spice Almonds (optional)

Cupcake Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees, line two 12 cupcake tins with liners and spray with pam baking spray. Set aside.

In a mixer cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time while mixer is on low and blend.

Crush Cookies.

I put cookies in a small bowl and use the bottom of a glass to crush into a crumble.

With your mixer on low add crushed cookies, pumpkin, flour and lemon rind and mix. When blended add milk.

Fill each muffin tin with 2 tablespoons of mix. Bake for 15 minutes or until tootpick stuck in center comes out clean. Cool on rack completely before frosting.

Frosting Directions:

Using a mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Beat in Disaronno.

Gradually beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until frosting becomes thick and spreadable. If needed add an additional 1/2 cup. Refrigerate to firm before frosting.

Frost and top with Almonds if you haven’t eaten them all!

Self Rising Flour Recipe:

For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

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About Amy Stafford

You can usually find me in my garden, the kitchen, at the gym or spending time with my family. I love sharing recipes, gardening tips and stories of my backyard chickens and beekeeping.
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Tagged as: Amaretto, baking, cupcake, dessert, food, Frosting, Pumpkin, Recipe

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Anne October 16, 2012 at 5:04 pm

I love pumpkin too! And wow –amaretto cream cheese frosting? Sounds great for adults. Are these kid friendly with the amaretto liquor in the frosting?

amy October 16, 2012 at 11:11 pm: Anne,
The call to weather to use Amaretto in the frosting would be up to you. If you are uncomfortable with using it, substitute Almond Extract.
Amy