Can’t decide what holiday flavor to go with for Thanksgiving? For me, Thanksgiving Day was the ok in my head to start thinking and consuming all Christmas flavors all the time. But you still want to honor those Fall flavors for one last big hoorah! So why not combine the two, it’s the perfect segue from one holiday to the next. Move over pumpkin pie and clear some room for these Pumpkin Spice Eggnog Cupcakes! You have the fall flavors of the warm pumpkin spices, married with the quintessential holiday drink, eggnog! The creaminess of the nog makes for a moist crumb and just the right amount of that old familiar eggnog punch. Topped off with the silkiest of smooth Swiss Meringue buttercreams, flavored with more pumpkin spice nog and nutmeg and a slight kick of Bourbon. It’s the entire holiday season in a bite…or a cupcake!
Well we are officially in Holiday Season mode or as I like to call it booze, food and friends mode! Either way, from now until the end of the year I will be consuming all the above in major excess of the norm for me! Starting next week with Thanksgiving! Still planning out your big Turkey Day menu? Looking for something different this year? Tired of the old pumpkin pie game? Well, why don’t you go with these Pumpkin Spice Eggnog Cupcakes for your sweet end to the big meal? You get the traditional pumpkin spice but with the added flavor of the next holiday approaching with the eggnog. Also, I gotta say, I prefer cake over pie. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good pie, I will be making a maple bourbon crème brulee pumpkin pie this year as well (hey I’m a traditionalist) but I am adding these delectables to the dessert table! Have your cake and eat it too… along with your pie!
Thanksgiving marks the transition for me to go Christmas flavor crazy! And the ok to put up all the twinkling lights…so pretty. I remember as a kid, my friend and I would sit on my couch in the family room with all the lights off in the house except the Christmas tree and just stare at it (these were the days before, internet, 5 million tv channels, smartphones, computers…you get me…simpler times. Get off my lawn!) 🙂 Haha, any who, those memories and the coziness of the holidays, family and friends is what I enjoy most about the season. Ok and all the gluttony…YOLO. 😉
Sorry, that was a really long way of saying that you should make these Pumpkin Spice Eggnog Cupcakes to head into the next flavor fiesta of the Season!
Mmm, just look at that creamy, silky frosting! All topped off with a little nutmeg bae!
Cheers and Cupcakes Up!
Diane
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1⅔ cups cake flower
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ cup pumpkin spice eggnog (I got mine at Target)
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter – room temp
- ¼ cup Mascarpone – room temp
- 2 tbsp. bourbon
- For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- ⅓ to ½ cup pumpkin spice eggnog
- 4 sticks unsalted butter - room temp
- 5 egg whites
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. bourbon
- For the Cupcakes:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients, spices and whisk to combine, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and continue to beat for another 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the mascarpone and beat until combined. Beat the egg whites until slightly foamy. Add to the butter sugar mixture in three pours. Beat after each addition until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and Bourbon.
- Add ½ of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add the eggnog and combine. It will curdle some, that’s ok. Last, add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix.
- Using an ice-cream scoop or about ⅓ cup, fill each cupcake liner ¾ full. Gently even out tops with offset spatula or knife.
- Bake on middle rack of the oven for 16 to 18 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack. Then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.
- For the buttercream:
- Place egg whites, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place bowl over medium saucepan with about an inch of simmering water on the stove top.
- Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Should take about 10 minutes. You can tell when it’s done by rubbing a small amount of the mixture between your fingers. If there is no graininess, it’s done.
- Remove bowl from double boiler and attach to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium high until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes and the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch.
- Switch to the paddle attachment and your butter slowly a piece at time. Mixture will eventually curdle but keep mixing until smooth and shiny. Add the vanilla extract, Bourbon and eggnog, starting with ¼ cup of nog. Mix to combine. Taste and if desired add more eggnog a tablespoon at time until your desired nog flavor is achieved.
- Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle top with ground nutmeg.Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
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