Pumpkin Cupcakes

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My pumpkin spice cupcakes are chock full of real pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg! I cored and filled with a homemade vanilla pudding, then topped with buttercream; both regular and pumpkin-shaped!

I have a soft spot for pumpkin everything but as you might know, I hate fondant. Yes I use it but only on the rarest of occasions. It just doesn’t taste great. So I was determined to pipe some pumpkins for these cupcakes and not shape them out of rock-hard sugar paste you have to pick off before eating.

Pro Tips for Delicious Pumpkin Cupcakes

• Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
• After applying the white buttercream you can smooth it with a knife or spatula. If it’s a bit troublesome try dipping your tool in very hot water, patting it try then swiping that over your cupcake.
• On another note you might want to make these cupcakes with a more simple decoration and in that case may I suggest whipping up a batch of the browned buttercream from my pumpkin poke cake?
• Don’t be afraid to clean up the pumpkin with a toothpick if there are stray bits of buttercream marring your gourd.
• If you don’t have a cupcake corer you can use a small knife to hollow out the middle.
• The recipe makes more vanilla pudding than you need. But you will not be complaining about having some extra delicious home made pudding to snack on! I tried some different brands of pudding mixes and even the fancy organic ones weren’t nearly as good as the home-made kind. I think it’s the vanilla they use.

How many cups are in a can of pumpkin?

A 15oz can of pumpkin is 2.5 tablespoons short of 2 cups. If you buy the 29-ounce can of pumpkin, it holds about 3 1/2 cups cups of purée.

How long will these cupcakes keep for?

What can I do if I don’t like American Buttercream?

Steps to make pumpkin cupcakes

1. For the Vanilla Pudding; whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Add the milk into the sugar mixture and stir until a paste is formed. Add milk and the egg yolks.

2. Cook the mixture on a low heat and add butter and vanilla. Stir while cooking until thickened then transfer to a bowl to cool completely. You can whisk in an optional 1-2 tbs of butter at this point. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and create an airtight seal with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for about an hour until chilled.

3. For the cupcakes; preheat the oven to 350 degrees and add the cupcake papers to a cupcake pan. Mix the buttermilk, vanilla, orange blossom and sour cream in a glass and set it aside. Now sift the dry ingredients (except the sugar) together and give it a good whisk to mix it up.

4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for approximately 4 minutes on medium. Add the eggs one at a time to make sure each one is incorporated well before adding the next. Add the flour mixture in three batches alternating with the milk mixture. Make sure you start and end with the flour mixture. Be careful not to over mix, just beat until combined.

5. Mix in the pumpkin puree and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the pumpkin is well incorporated.

6. Now pour the batter into the cupcake papers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes or until the center is set and let cool.

7. For the frosting; whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment (stand-up mixer). Beat in the confectioners sugar slowly. Add the salt, cream and vanilla and beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency. Reserve a couple tablespoons for the stems. Add a few drops of brown and mix. Reserve ⅓ for the pumpkin. Add some drops of orange until you reach a desired consistency.

8. Once the cupcakes are cooled use a cupcake corer or the reverse side of a piping tip to create a well in the cupcake. Pipe the filling into the cupcake then place a cap back onto the top.

9. To pipe the white base, fit a piping bag with a number 3 round tip and use to create a white circular base for your pumpkin by piping in a circular motion.

10. Fit another piping bag with a 143 tip and fill it with the orange frosting to pipe your pumpkin. You might need to use a small knife to clean the edges to shave the pumpkin. Pipe the brown stem using a small round tip and there you have your pumpkin cupcake! Enjoy!

IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT

Mini Pumpkin Cakes

The BEST Pumpkin Pie

Apple pie

Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Halloween Cupcakes

If you’ve tried these pumpkin cupcake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Pumpkin Cupcakes

Delicious pumpkin cupcakes filled with homemade vanilla pudding and topped with buttercream pumpkins!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 36 cupcakes

Calories 180 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree 170g
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon 5.2g
• 1 tsp ginger 2g
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg .50g
• 1/4 tsp cloves .50g
• 1/4 tsp all-spice .50g
• 1/4 tsp salt 1.2g
• 1 tsp baking soda 6g
• 4 tsp baking powder 16g
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 256g
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar 267g
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 118mL
• 1/2 cup butter 113g
• 1/4 cup sour cream 57g
• 1 tsp orange blossom water 5mL, optional
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL

For the Buttercream:

• 2 tsp vanilla 10mL
• 1 lb confectioner's sugar 453.5g
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature 226g
• 3 tbs heavy whipping cream 44.3mL
• 1 pinch salt
• Orange food coloring
• Brown food coloring

For the Filling:

• 1/4 cup sugar 50g
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch 11g
• 1/8 tsp salt .6g
• 1 cup whole milk warm, 250mL
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
• 2 tbsp butter 30g

Instructions

For the Vanilla Pudding Filling:

1. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.

2. Add milk into the sugar mixture. Stir until a paste. Combine milk and egg yolks.

3. Cook the mixture on a medium-low heat, while stirring continuously. Let the mixture thicken and don't over-boil. Turn off the heat. Add butter and vanilla and stir in.

4. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Create an airtight seal with plastic wrap. Move to the refrigerator for about an hour until chilled.

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake papers to a cupcake tin.
2. Mix the buttermilk, vanilla, orange blossom and sour cream in a glass and set aside.
3. Sift the dry ingredients (except the sugar) together and give a good whisk to mix well.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for approximately 4 minutes on medium.
5. Add the eggs one at a time making sure each is incorporated well before adding the next.
6. Add the flour mixture mixture in three batches alternating with the milk mixture. Making sure you start and end with the flour mixture. Do not over mix, just beat until combined.
7. Mix in the pumpkin puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure the pumpkin is well incorporated.

8. Pour batter into cupcakes papers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes, or until the center is set. Let cool completely before filling.

For the Buttercream:

1. Whip the butter for about 5 minutes using a paddle attachment (stand-up mixer).
2. Beat in the confectioner’s sugar slowly.

3. Add the salt, cream, and vanilla. Beat until you have an even, fluffy consistency.

4. Reserve a couple tablespoons for the stems. Add a few drops of brown and mix. Reserve ⅓ for the pumpkin. Add drops of orange until you reach a desired consistency.

For the Assembly:

1. With a cupcake corer or the reverse side of a piping tip, core a whole. 

   

2. Pipe filling into the cupcake.

   
3. To pipe the white base, fit a piping bag with a number 3 round tip. Pipe in a circular motion.
   
4. Fit another piping bag with a 143 tip. Pipe
5. Use a cake icing tip to create a white circular base of your pumpkin. Pipe another closed circle on top for the pumpkin itself. Pipe the pumpkin using a 143 tip with the bag filled with orange. You might need to use a small knife to clean the edges to shave the pumpkin. Pipe the brow stem using a small round tip.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• After applying the white buttercream you can smooth it with a knife or spatula. If it's a bit troublesome try dipping your tool in very hot water, patting it try then swiping that over your cupcake.
• On another note you might want to make these cupcakes with a more simple decoration and in that case may I suggest whipping up a batch of the browned buttercream from my pumpkin poke cake?
• Don't be afraid to Clean up the pumpkin with a toothpick if there are stray bits of buttercream marring your gourd.

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake)

Calories 180 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 160mg7%

Potassium 23mg1%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 3150IU63%

Vitamin C 19mg23%

Calcium 20mg2%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.