Just reading the words “Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Apple Butter Frosting” makes me feel like extra calories are just waiting around the corner, ready to ambush me if I so much as walk into the same room with something as decadent as these bad boys.

Heaven forbid that I actually eat one!

Oh wait. Too late to worry about that.

But seriously.  These cupcakes are pretty much the last thing I need hanging around my house, and me with no one but 3 males and a baby to share them with (wanna come over and help me out?). After all, there’s only so much sugar you can shovel down your children’s throats just because you made an entire batch to show your blog-readers, and now you don’t want it around to tempt you (before I start getting the, “How much sugar do your children eat anyway?” emails—the oldest ate one, the middle one got distracted and forgot about his, and the baby hasn’t even gotten a lick…yet).

Regardless of whether I have to buy new pants tomorrow (dramatic much?), hear me on this: these babies are worth every sinfully caloric bite.

Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a dangerously yummy batch of your own:

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    • Classic Yellow cake mix
    • 1 can of 100% pure pumpkin puree
    • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    • 4 eggs
    • Festive cupcake wrappers

I used this Betty Crocker recipe minus the nuts (I’m guessing the good folks at Betty Crocker would be less than impressed that I used a Duncan Hines cake mix, but it’s what I had. And, I’ll have you know, Betty, that it worked just fine. Whoops. There goes a sponsorship). You’re welcome to click and follow, but here’s the skinny breakdown:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (325 if you’re using dark or non-stick pans).

2. Dump all your ingredients into a mixer bowl, and beat on medium for about two minutes or until just incorporated.

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3. Line your cupcake pans with your *festive* (these don’t taste nearly as good without this!) cupcake papers and spoon batter into each until 2/3 full.

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4. Bake for 17-20 minutes (depending on how quickly your oven bakes…mine were just barely done at the 17 minute mark, and I snatched them out quick because there are fewer things less appetizing than overdone cake).

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Trust me when I tell you that, although the much-touted can-of-pumpkin+a-cake-mix muffin is pretty tasty, the extra calories ingredients in this one are what make them truly special. These cupcakes are so fluffy, light, and airy!

And now for the only reason you should brave these suckers best part:

Cream Cheese Apple Butter Frosting

(Can you hear the angels singing?)

Here’s what you’ll need:

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If it had never occurred to you to put apple butter in frosting, don’t feel bad. It hadn’t occurred to me either until I tried it at Super Night with Super Mom and wondered how I’d made it 29 years without partaking of it before.

So I decided to try my hand at it, and here’s what I came up with:

    • 4 cups of powdered Sugar
    • 1/4 (1/2 a stick) of butter
    • 1/4 cup (half a block) of cream cheese (DON’T use the reduced fat version if you need it to look pretty)
    • 3 tablespoons of apple butter
    • 1/4 tsp vanilla

1. Whip your butter and cream cheese in the mixer until creamy and smooth (I actually put both in the microwave for about 8 seconds first to take the chill off; they should still be firm, but not rock hard before you put them in the mixer bowl).

2. Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 tbsp of apple butter, and your vanilla and beat away.

3. Keep adding the remaining ingredients gradually, beating after each addition, until you have the consistency you want.

*Be patient and just keep beating if the frosting seems too thick or as if it’s not going to completely come together. It will! Pinky promise. Just say no to the urge to add milk!

4. Grab a piping bag and a large star tip, and swirl a generous glob of frosting on each cupcake.

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5. ENJOY!

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I’m linking up with The Lovely Cupboard for:

five days five ways christmas linky party | because every day is different

P.S. Thrifted or Grifted is coming to a blog near you (that’s this one…just making sure we’re clear there) tomorrow!

P.P.S. The theme for this week’s

five days five ways | 5 Things Thursday

…is (what else?):

big wonder

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming

Tuesday ~ Sew Crafty Tuesday Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncojmmon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ It’s Overflowing Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can’t Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate

Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane

Sundays ~ Homemaker on a Dime ~ Sunday’s Best

10 Comments

  1. These sound so amazing! And beautifully displayed 🙂 I love your blog and am following you now-thanks for following me and kind comments–looking forward to seeing more of your creations!

  2. I just wanted to let you know I featured this and you redneck wreath today! Thank you for sharing them at my Christmas Link Party!!

  3. Oh my heavens these look SO good!! Send some over my way! Thanks for popping over to my blog. Can’t wait to look at the rest of your blog too.

I love hearing from you guys!