{Gluten Free} Pumpkin Spice Cake & Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Icing

Fall inspired Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Icing on top of Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

My Grandpa’s Farm Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix was included in my American Gluten Free Box. I was not compensate monetarily for this post. All opinions and ideas are my own.

Taste of Fall

I was so excited when I received this month’s American Gluten Free Box and saw  the Fall Inspired products.  Of course I ate through all the snacks in the box pretty quickly. The Cinnamon Apples and Pecans almost didn’t make it into the picture! My Grandpa’s Gluten Free Farm’s Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix was also included. I am usually not one for cake mixes, but it is finally starting to feel like fall (we went down to 80 degrees!) and I was craving pumpkin. I don’t know what it is about September, but it brings out the Pumpkin Spice cravings in everyone.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

I honestly didn’t have high hopes for the cake. I haven’t had very many gluten free cakes (except my own Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!) that tasted very good. However, I do like cream cheese icing and any excuse to make it is fine by me.

My Grandfather’s Farm Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix is one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth. It is like eating pumpkin pie in a cake. I would place money on no one figuring out that it was gluten free. In fact, I am taking them to my MOP’s Coffee Chat tomorrow night and I’m not going to tell them. They are so delicious and moist. Not one shred of graininess. I even stopped what I was doing and took one to my husband at work. They are that good. Of course, a cupcake this good deserves more than just your typical cream cheese icing. The pumpkin spice cupcakes were a tad on the sweet side. I wanted to add an icing that would give a bit of a bite.

Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Icing

It hit me like a lighting bolt. Bourbon. Maple. Fall. I have no idea why Bourbon reminds me a fall, but it does. I stopped what I was doing and made a quick trip to the liquor store. The cashier thought I was bit nuts at first, but once he understood what I was doing, he asked if I needed any taste testers.

This Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Icing tastes like a dream. It has just the right amount of bite to take these cupcakes to the next level.

When I make cream cheese icing, I do not add nearly as much powdered sugar as most recipes call for. 4 cups of powdered sugar is just a bit insane. I usually only use about a 1 and 1/4 cups, but for this recipe I replaced the quarter cup with maple syrup which pairs nicely with the Bourbon.

Just a quick note

Before I start getting hate mail about whether or not Bourbon is gluten free, it is a distilled liquor. Distilled liquors are inherently gluten free, however the problem comes when liquor makers sometimes add things to it after it is finished. The Bourbon I used for this is Maker’s Mark, they do not add anything back and it is distilled twice.

If you are uncomfortable with it that is ok. Feel free to leave it out. It will still be delicious. There is also a 100% corn-based Bourbon that I have not tried, but it may be an option for some:

Hudson Baby Bourbon

 For more information about gluten free liquor, please see Jules Shephard’s article. She is an expert in all things gluten free!

Gluten Free Alcohol

If you are interested in trying out new gluten free products each month, American Gluten Free offers hand-picked, themed boxes delivered straight to your door. Use the code below to receive 50% off your first month!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

{Gluten Free} Pumpkin Spice Cake & Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

• 18 Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes I love My Grandfather's Farm Pumpkin Spice Cake Mix!

Maple Bourbon Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 ounce package softened cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons bourbon

Instructions

• Beat together all icing ingredients until smooth.
• Spread on cupcakes.

Notes

If you are making these and their are children who will want to eat one. Beat together all the ingredients except the Bourbon, take out some of the icing for them, and then add the Bourbon for the adults.