Spiced Vanilla Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream

Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

To make the cupcakes, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar and whirl on medium speed until well combined. Add the butter and beat on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes. Because there is so little butter, the mixture will be the texture of sand with little butter bits.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla bean paste, yogurt and oil until well combined. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. 

Slowly stream in the milk and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 4 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The batter will be rather liquidy and that’s right!

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them just over half full; you will have some batter left over to bake additional cupcakes. Bake until the cupcakes are puffed, cooked through and just golden around the edges, 14 to 16 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and let cool completely. Meanwhile, bake the remaining cupcake batter.

To make the buttercream, in the clean bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the clean flat beater, beat the butter around the bowl on medium speed to soften slightly. Add the confectioners’ sugar and nutmeg and beat on low speed until the mixture begins to come together. With the mixer running on low speed, stream in the eggnog and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the rum extract and salt and whip on high speed until well combined and fluffy, 20 to 30 seconds.

Spread or pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with nutmeg. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature just before serving. Cupcakes are best eaten within 3 days. Makes 16 cupcakes.

Courtesy of Joy the Baker