Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes with Streusel Cream Cheese Frosting

Tis the season of pumpkin, pumpkin, and more PUMPKIN!!  And what could be better than Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes with Streusel Cream Cheese Frosting?! Oh boy, these are some of the best pumpkin cupcakes I’ve ever had!  I will definitely be holding onto this recipe!  And did I mention these pumpkin cupcakes have BEER in them?  Yes, beer!  Crazy, isn’t it?  These cupcakes are moist and have a rich but not overwhelming pumpkin flavor. Topped with a creamy cream cheese frosting and a crunchy streusel topping.  YUM!  They are EASY to make, yet look gourmet!  They would be so cute served with my Pumpkin Cheesecaketinis I made recently.  These Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes with Streusel Cream Cheese Frosting were SO good that I had to give most of them away because I would have eaten the whole entire batch in one day!  I’m warning you now, do not be alone with these cupcakes in the house….

My friend Kelli from Happy Hour Cupcake (website is under construction but should be up soon! In the meantime, you can visit her Facebook page) recently told me about the pumpkin cupcakes she made with pumpkin ale and I was intrigued right away.  I thought I’d come up with my own version and add a little crunch to the cupcakes.  I’ll admit I was very skeptical and was a little unsure about adding beer to a cake batter.  But now that I’ve tried it for myself, I’m hooked!  Don’t worry, the cupcakes don’t have a STRONG beer flavor, but the pumpkin ale seems to bring out the pumpkin flavor and help make these cupcakes light and airy.

These EASY pumpkin cupcakes are a breeze to make thanks to a Pillsbury cake mix, some Libby’s pumpkin, and Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale and ingredients you probably already have in your house.  No one will ever guess you used a cake mix for this recipe.  Only 5 ingredients in the cupcakes, 4 in the frosting, and 5 in the streusel.

Only 5 ingredients in the cupcake batter.  I placed the cake mix in a bowl, then added the other ingredients (pumpkin, beer, eggs, and cinnaomon) top.  Mix until JUST combined.  That’s not a typo, there is NO oil/butter in the cake batter. Instead of cinnamon you can use pumpkin pie spice or your favorite spices.

The recipe makes about 24 cupcakes assuming you don’t eat too much of the batter.   I like to use an ice cream scoop so that the cupcakes are just about even.

Bake the cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 19-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.  While the cupcakes are baking you can start on the streusel and bake it in the oven at the same time as the cupcakes (if you have room) or bake the streusel while the cupcakes are cooling.  For the streusel, you mix together flour, nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon then cut in the butter until small chunks form.  You can omit the nuts or add oats instead if you don’t like nuts or have an allergy.  Bake the streusel for about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until desired crunchiness, stirring every 5 minutes or so.  The longer you bake, the crunhier it will be but be careful not to burn it.

While the cupcakes and streusel are baking make the frosting.  Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened and at room temperature.  If they’re not, you’ll get lumpy frosting.  You can add more/less powdered sugar to the frosting depending on how sweet you like your frosting.

To assemble, frost the cupcakes as desired and sprinkle streusel on top.  Since these cupcakes have cream cheese in the frosting, they probably need to be kept in the fridge to store then let them stand at room temperature for a little while before serving.

These cupcakes are so light and moist and some of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had!!  I love pumpkin season!

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