Perfect Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes

A perfectly spiced chocolate pumpkin cupcake topped with a pumpkin spice frosting sprinkled with mini chocolate chips! 

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes

As I was contemplating my next recipe, it occured to me that I hadn't posted a chocolate or a cupcake recipe. Shame on me! It was decided, a chocolate cupcake would be the next recipe to share. Just one teensy problem
stood in the way. I was craving pumpkin and spice.

I think this craving was jump started by a couple of things. My daughter, a pumpkin spice junkie, had just called to tell me about her first pumpkin spice latte of the season. Yes, she was that excited, this momentous occasion deserved a phone call to mom. She also posted a picture of herself and her beloved drink on facebook. It did look good.

Coupled with the fact that pumpkin flavored this, and pumpkin spice that, and pumpkin recipes were abounding at every corner I turned, there was no escaping. I was caught up in the pumpkin frenzy. The only way to fix this problem of wanting to share a chocolate cupcake recipe and curing my pumpkin spice craving, combine the two.

Pumpkin, spice and chocolate makes everything nice!

And folks, we have a winner! The chocolate cupcake is tender with a perfect balance of pumpkin and spice. The frosting is a heavenly pumpkin buttercream sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. And with it's beautiful brown and orange autumn colors this is a wonderful treat to have at a fall bake sale, halloween party or on your Thanksgiving dessert list.

Are you having a pumpkin craving? What are your favorite pumpkin desserts? Is there a pumpkin dessert that makes its way onto your Thanksgiving table every year? I would love for you to share!

Perfect Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes 14 cupcakes For the Cupcakes: 1 and 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour 1/2 Cup Butter – AKA 1 stick of butter* 3/4 Cup Sugar 2/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin – Plain, not pumpkin pie mix! 1/2 Cup Baking Cocoa 1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk 1 Egg 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Salt For the Frosting: 3 Cups Powdered Sugar 4 Tablespoons Butter – Softened* 1/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice 1/2 Cup Mini Semi  Sweet Chocolate Chips for sprinkling on top of cupcakes Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in regular size cupcake pan.  Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream butter, sugar, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice until fluffy.  Add egg, mix until incorporated. Starting and ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour and evaporated milk. Add a third of the flour mixture and then half of the milk each time, mixing well after each addition. Fill each liner 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, checking with toothpick test at 15 minutes. If toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, cupcakes are ready. If there is wet batter on toothpick, allow more baking time. Cupcakes must be completely cooled before frosting. To make frosting, combine softened butter, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; using hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix until fluffy. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mix until thoroughly incorporated and creamy. Frost completely cooled cupcake and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. *I used salted butter.

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