Pecan Pie Pumpkin Cupcakes
These are the most EPIC Fall cupcakes ever! I've combined pumpkin cake with pecan pie and a salted maple frosting for a cozy flavor explosion! These pumpkin cupcakes are so soft, moist and fluffy with a rich pecan pie filling and cinnamon-spiced maple buttercream. You will love them!
Ingredients
Pecan pie filling:
- ½ cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) light or heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (85g) coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) golden corn syrup
Pumpkin cupcake batter:
- ¾ cup (175ml) pure pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55g) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice)
- ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk
Salted maple cinnamon frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups (160g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon 30ml cream
Instructions
- Make the pecan pie filling. Combine all ingredients except corn syrup in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it just begins to bubble and thicken. This will take about 5 minutes. Immediately take it off the heat and pour it into a clean bowl. Let it cool completely and then refrigerate until needed. Once chilled, stir in the corn syrup.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Make the cupcakes. Combine pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Add flour and begin to mix gently until it starts to absorb some moisture but not until it is completely smooth. Before all of the flour is incorporated, add the milk and whisk until the batter is smooth. Divide the batter evenly among cupcake papers and bake for 16-20 minutes until the cakes feel firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting. Combine maple syrup and soft salted butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until very smooth and creamy with an electric hand mixer. It should lighten in color as it whips up. Add one third of the powdered sugar and beat it in until smooth and creamy. Add another third of the powdered sugar and continue to beat well. Add vanilla, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of cream and beat until very smooth and fluffy. Finally, mix in the last tablespoon of the cream until the frosting is very fluffy and pale.
- Use a small paring knife to cut out a circle in the center of each cupcake, going about ¾ inch down to create a well. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the pecan filling into each cupcake (NOTE: you will have extra filling, and you can use this as a topping over ice cream). Spread some frosting on top.
- Make the pumpkin decoration. Take the conical piece of cake and use the knife to slice off the pointed tip (the bottom of the cut-out) to create flat bottom. It should now have a cylindrical shape that better resembles a pumpkin. Melt some chocolate chips to make some “glue” then use the melted chocolate to adhere the mini chocolate chip to the top of the “pumpkin” cake cut-out to make it look like the stem of the pumpkin. Place it gently on the frosting and voila!
