Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

posted by Nikola Gers, November 1 2022

Pumpkin pie cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes

(makes 12 cupcakes)

150g golden caster sugar

150g butter (or dairy free spread)

150g self raising flour

3 large eggs

100g pumpkin puree

12 vegantics

1tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

Ingredients for the frosting

250g soft butter or dairy free spread

500g icing sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

12 star anise for decoration

6 cinnamon sticks halved for decoration

1 tsp ground cinnamon to dust

Method

With an electric whisk beat together butter & sugar until pale, add eggs one by one whisking until each egg is fully incorporated. Now add pumpkin puree and spices and fold through. Finally add flour, fold in until no pockets of flour are visible.

Using a tablespoon put one and a half spoons of mixture into each cupcake case (roughly 2/3rds full)

Push a vegantic into the centre and cover with a little cake batter.

Bake in a preheated 160 c fan oven for around 15minutes until risen and the cupcakes spring back to a light touch.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the cupcake tin before removing and placing on a wire rack to fully cool.

To make the frosting place the soft room temperature butter in a large bowl, whisk with a handheld electric mixer for at least 10 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Now add all the icing sugar and with a spatula and carefully mix to incorporate ( I do this under a tea towel to avoid a sugar cloud!) once most of the sugar is incorporated switch to a hand held mixer and beat for another 10 minutes until smooth. Add 2 tbsp of room temperature milk with the spices to make the mixture a little looser. All the ingredients for frosting must be room temperature to avoid curdling) Now squish out the air bubbles with a spatula against the sides of the bowl and scoop into a piping bag. Pipe a generous swirl on the top of each cupcake, then dust with cinnamon and decorate with star anise and cinnamon sticks.

Cupcakes don’t need to be refrigerated and will keep well for up to a week in a sealed container in a cool spot. Ideal for a lovely autumnal gift.