Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
Add in pumpkin puree, milk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until full incorporated. Do not overmix.
Fill cupcake liners ¾ full using a large cookie scoop for even cupcakes.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched.
Allow the cupcakes too cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Add room temperature butter to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the butter is light, fluffy, and pale in color.
Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
Add instant espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low until combined.
Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed.
Once the heavy cream is added, turn the speed on the mixer to medium-high and mix for an additional 3 minutes until smooth. If there are still instant espresso powder granules present, turn the mixer on low speed and continue to mix until they are fully dissolved.

To frost the cupcakes as shown in the pictures, you will need a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip. Create an "ice cream swirl" of buttercream frosting on top of the cooled cupcakes. Start in the center, swirl outward to cover the cupcake and then swirl upward.
Once the cupcakes are frosted, sprinkle on some additional instant espresso powder if desired.

Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.