Yaupon Pumpkin Cupcakes

Yaupon Tea Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients

Medium Roast Yaupon Butter

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp loose leaf medium roast yaupon tea (Try using Lost Maples Medium Roast Yaupon by CatSpring Yaupon)

Cupcakes

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp medium roast yaupon butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 8 oz block cream cheese
• 2 tbsp butter (feel free to use more yaupon butter!)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Chopped pecans (roasted or plain)

Directions

Medium Roast Yaupon Butter

In a small saucepan, melt the butter until it turns into a liquid. Add in the tea leaves and continue to heat the mixture for 5 minutes on low heat. Then remove from heat and let stand for an additional 5 minutes (or until the butter looks tinted from the tea leaves). Next pour the mixture through a mesh sieve, pressing on the tea leaves to extract maximum butter, and discard the leaves. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature (about 5 minutes).

Cupcakes and Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt - and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar, beating with a handheld mixer for about 3-4 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Next, add in the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract. Then slowly beat in the eggs one at a time and finally mix in the dry ingredients bit by bit until well combined.

Fill each cupcake liner three quarters full with batter and bake for about 20 minutes - until the cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Then remove from oven and let cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the delicious frosting, combine the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Then add in the powdered sugar bit by bit until thoroughly combined. Top those cupcakes off with a bit of frosting and a sprinkling of chopped pecans to try some of the best cupcakes out there!

Recipe adapted from Food Network