Lately I feel like life is moving way too quickly. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do all the things I need to get done. Between work, taking care of the house, getting ready for the holidays, spending time with our families, and getting in a little time with Justin, I feel like I need one million hours in a day.
When life gets too crazy, I bake. A lot. Too much even. Why do laundry when you can make a cake? Why grade research papers when you could spend a few hours in the kitchen icing cookies?
Clearly the first thing to do when you have too much to do is stuff pumpkin spice cupcakes with pumpkin spice Hershey's Kisses and top them with a pumpkin spice, brown sugar, cream cheese icing. Yeah, I tried to shorten the icing name but then you just don't get the full effect...
Yes, I know that everyone in America is on pumpkin overload right now. But contrary to their name, these little guys don't actually have any actual pumpkin in them. Just pumpkin flavored everything. Pumpkin Pie Spice. Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses, Pumpkin Spice Country Crock Spread. So I guess you could call these pumpkin flavored products overload. But it works.
These truly are the Ultimate Pumpkin Spice Cupcake. Pumpkin Spice to the third power. Pumpkin insanity if you will. These cute little cakes are just one step away from pumpkin overkill but somehow the sweetness of the Hershey's Kiss and the icing is perfectly balanced by the spiciness of the cake and the bite sized portion is just enough to leave you wanting a little bit more.
While it may look and sound complicated this recipe is actually pretty easy. But between the mixing, scooping, unwrapping, stuffing and icing, you can successfully avoid cleaning/cooking/working long enough to put it off for another day. And time spent covered in sugar is never wasted right?
The Ultimate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- 1 box of spice cake mix and ingrediants required to make it on the box
- Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
- Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses
- 1 tub of Country Crock Pumpkin Spice Spread, softened
- 8oz of cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
1.) Mix the spice cake mix as directed on the box. Add pumpkin pie spice to taste. I used about a teaspoon and a half.
2.) Use a cookie scoop to fill mini cupcake liners with the spice cake batter. Place an upside down Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kiss in each filled cupcake liner. Bake according to the box until done.
Before and after baking |
3.) With an electric mixer, beat together Pumpkin Spice Country Crock, softened cream cheese, and brown sugar until smooth and well combined.
4.) Once cupcakes are completely cooled, ice and decorate as desired.
Enjoy!