{Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream}

Ever had a dumb day?

You know, the 'why did I even bother getting out of bed?' type day.

Yeah, they happen. More often than we'd like. The other day I got a call that I'd been worried would happen for a couple years now. I've often mentioned that I am a youth leader at our church. We have been blessed with the coolest, hippest, all around awesomest youth pastor for the last 4 years. I've been working one-on-one with him for the last 3 of those. I knew he'd felt a call to go to California to plant a church. I knew it was going to happen for him one day. I'd just always hoped it would be later instead of sooner.

Well, it's sooner. It's now.

It was a dumb day.

While I'm very happy for him to be fulfilling his calling, I'm also breaking inside a little. I'm 11 years older than him, so he kinda feels like my little brother. I've definitely enjoyed getting to know him over the last 3 years. He's a great friend who I will miss tremendously. Then there's his wife. I love her too! She's incredible and amazing, and, well, we pretty much think alike. Although I've gone to church with her the entire time we were growing up, I'd never gotten to know her (because she was lots of years younger than me), until now. Man, I wish I'd known her all along!

Sure there's text, and facebook, and email, but... It's just not the same, is it?

Sunday was a huge cryfest in our teen room at church. He made the announcement which none of the kids were prepared for. He cried, I cried, all of the teens cried. Ugh. Did I mention he's the awesomest? Obviously, we all love him.

I came across a quote by Steven Chabosky from The Perks of Being a Wallflower that pretty much sums it up:

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.”

How true is that?

Julie (his wife) loves all things pumpkin, so I made these cupcakes with her in mind Sunday night.

Basically, I needed baking therapy (I baked 48 cupcakes that day- here's the other recipe), and I'm pretty sure we all needed cupcake therapy, so these were born.

I'm sure by now you have all seen the 2 ingredient pumpkin cake, right? It's literally a box of yellow cake & a can of pumpkin. That's what these are... kinda.

I started with a spice cake mix. When I added in the pumpkin, I could see it was still way too thick. So I added in a 1/4 cup water and a 1/4 cup oil. So many people have had success with just the cake mix and the pumpkin, but I did not. However... this worked great! While still a very thick batter, they tasted delish. They are kind of a mix between a cupcake and a very moist muffin.

I topped them with a Brown Sugar Buttercream, because why not?

I love the crunch the brown sugar gives the buttercream. It's a fun surprise in what looks like a perfectly creamy buttercream. It's pretty yumtastic too!

Cupcake. Therapy. It's a good thing.

To Robby, Julie, and the awesome Sir William (what I call their most adorable 4 year old), we will miss you. So much. We all wish you the best. We know you'll change lives in California, just like you changed lives here in Ohio. Thank you for all the time you've invested in us here.

Much love and best wishes.

And I know you'll be back to visit.

Because cupcakes.

Oh, and you have family here, but whatever. Cupcakes.

Tina



Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream
yield: 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 box Spice Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines brand)
15 ounce can of Pumpkin
1/4 cup oil*
1/4 cup water*

*if needed

Heat oven to 350 F

Mix together cake mix and pumpkin with a mixer. Add oil and water if necessary. Scoop into cupcake liners (batter will be thick). Bake 22-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Brown Sugar Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb. (about 4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

With mixer, beat butter for 3 minutes. Beat in brown sugar. Slowly add powdered sugar and salt until well combined. Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Beat on high for 4 minutes. If too thick, add more cream 1/2 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.


Buttercream adapted from Bakingdom

{ Banana Streusel Muffins }

Confession: I'm a Crazy Cat Lady.

Well, I mean, can you be a Crazy Cat Lady with one cat? I think you can. Therefore, I'm pretty sure I meet the criteria.

Our cat is nearly 12 years old. We got him when the Bean was four. The Bean had, at the time, a little black cat that lived outside. His name was Sam. Sam had a best friend. He was a bunny named George. I know that sounds unlikely and weird, but it's a true story.

We would let George Bunny out of his cage and he and Sammy would play. They were just the funniest lil things.

Well, Sammy was young, George Bunny was old. George passed away. The hubs and the little Bean put George in shoebox and buried him in the backyard. Sammy followed them and meowed the whole time. Then, when they were finished Sam laid on George's grave. It was so sad. That evening, Sam went across the road, which he had never done ever, and got ran over. I'm convinced the cat committed suicide. It was the most bizarre thing. Extremely tragic for our 4 year old as well.

A couple months later, we found a lady giving away kittens at the county fair. The Bean picked out a kitty and his heart was just set on him. Only him. I just had to let him have him. That is where our kitty, Fairley (middle name Bueller, haha) came from. The Fair. Fairley. The Fair cat. We love him.

He is the sweetest cat on the planet. I might be biased, nah, that's crazy talk, he really is the sweetest cat on the planet. I love him. I love love love love love him.

I'm on instagram. I post photos of my cat. Too. Much. TOOOO MUCH.

I AM a crazy cat lady. 

Recently, I've started posting pics of him on my lap at night while we watch TV together.

I'm crazy.

Here are photos. There are lots.

I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not.

 Pretty Fairley

Fairley at Christmas (see the stockings?)

He's JUST SO FLUFFY!

Here we are watching Downton Abbey

 FRIENDS here.

 Watching a little Glee

Some Firefly

Downton Abbey again!

 Gilmore Girls! Fairely loves Gilmore Girls.

We were watching Bunheads last night. This photo is is from yesterday. I'm doing Geek Photo A Day through Instagram #geekphotoaday , check it out! You can follow me and all of my cat adventures. I'm SugarBeanBakers.

I'm also slightly unstable.

KITTY! <3

CRAZY. CAT. LADY.

We should really talk about something else. ANYTHING else.

How about Banana Muffins? Or better yet, Banana Streusel Muffins.

The original recipe for the muffins (without streusel), I THINK is from the old Betty Crocker cookbook. I've used it so long though, I am not positive.

We love banana muffins around here, but you know what makes em better?

Streusel.

So, Banana Streusel Muffins is it.

Just mix up the ingredients for the muffins, put in muffin tins, sprinkle the stresuel on top, and bake.

I think precious few things make your house smell better than banana bread.

Yummy.

Tina

I'm sorry. I tried to stop myself from posting another. But... with this face??? Resistance is futile.

Banana Streusel Muffins

adapted by Tina @ Sugar Bean Bakers

Muffins

1 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/3 Cup Butter, Softened

1/3 Cup Water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3-4 mashed RIPE bananas*

1 2/3 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)

Streusel

1/2 Stick Butter, cold

1/3 Cup packed Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Quick Oats

1/2 Cup Flour

*the riper the banana the better the bread. The ones in the photos above are not nearly ripe enough for me. Brown to black bananas make the best bread.

For the muffins:

Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Add in the water, eggs, and mashed banana. Mix well. Add in dry ingredients and mix slowly until well combined.

Grease a muffin pan, or use paper liners, and fill cups 2/3 full.

For the streusel:

Cut the dry ingredients into the butter using a pastry cutter or a fork (or a food processor) until the mixture looks like peas.

Sprinkle over muffins (you may have slightly more than you need for this recipe).

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (check at 20). A toothpick will come out clean from the muffin, but a bit of streusel may still cling to it. Makes approx. 16 muffins.

 

{ Streusel Topped Apple Muffins }

Last night, for the first time ever, the Bean went out with a teenage driver.

Now, my friend Lori's girls have driven him home from school on occasion, but we live under 5 minutes from there. This was an 'out all evening, drive 20 miles one way' type of deal.

Eep.

I know the guy he went with. I love him, he's a totally great, responsible kid. But still...

The fact that my own kid is now old enough to get his Learners Permit freaks me out.

They went to see "Here Comes The Boom". I told them, beware the TwiHards, but they went anyway. When he got home he told me that they had to park at the Kroger store 1/4 mile away walk a very busy road in the dark. 

I'm so glad I didn't know that until he was home safe!

After that, they went to Mickey D's, got some grub then headed home.

Good news? I survived! 

Even better news?

I made muffins.

These apple muffins would be excellent for Thanksgiving morning. Something light and tasty that won't fill you up for the big day ahead.

 This recipe features apples

and streusel

yum! yum!

 

yum!

Streusel Topped Apple Muffins

adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Muffins:

 1 1/2 cups sugar (you can use 2 cups for a sweeter muffin)
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger

pinch of ground cloves
3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)

Stresuel:

 1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) cold butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup flour

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.
Cream together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well combined. This batter is very thick. Almost a dough. Add in the diced apple. Stir well to combine.

For the stresuel:

Cut the dry ingredients into the butter with a pastry cutter or fork (or you can use a food processor), until the mixture resembles peas. 

Fill your cupcake liners almost to the top with the batter, about 3/4 full. Then sprinkle stresuel over the tops.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes (check at 20). 

The original recipe says this will make 18 muffins, but I got 24. This recipe doesn't rise much, so I could have filled my liners a little fuller to get nicely domed muffins.

Doesn't matter though, they still taste delish!

 *

So, I made it through this milestone with the Bean.

However, when HE is the one behind the wheel I will definitely need chocolate.

Sorry apples!

Tina