If you’re short on time (or patience), dressing up a box cake mix can give you the best of both worlds – a delicious cupcake with less fuss.  These cupcakes from My Baking Addiction are made from a yellow cake mix that is made moister by adding vanilla pudding mix and sour cream to the cake…and then spiced up by adding pumpkin pie spice.  The frosting is also taken to the next level by adding a bit of pumpkin pie spice.  So if you like things a tad sweet and a touch spicy, then you have to give this recipe a try!
Sugar and Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients: Â
1 (15.25 ounce) box Betty Crocker Yellow Cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tablespoon homemade pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Spiced Buttercream
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 pounds (about 5 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons heavy cream
Directions:
For the Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for about two minutes on medium speed until well combined.
3. Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.
For the Spiced Buttercream
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter medium-high speed for about 6 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer down to low speed and gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until it is completely incorporated. Add in pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Gradually add in the heavy cream and mix until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and check the buttercream for taste and texture. Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the mixture for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. If the buttercream is a bit too thick, you add in a bit more heavy cream one teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and if desired, garnish with a sprinkling of coarse sparkling sugar.
Notes:
– This recipe is written for 15.25 ounce cake mixes. If you are using an 18.25 ounce cake mix, you’ll want to increase the sour cream and vegetable oil to 1 cup each.
– A large French tip was used to pie the frosting