{Recipes} Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candy Corn & Buttercream Icing + Recipes

Pumpkin is definately not just for pies. Why not serve up some yummy pumpkin cupcakes. They make a yummy addition to your Fall, Thanksgiving or Halloween treat table. This is a super easy recipe and the best part...the cupcakes are not super sweet. If you love sweet, top them with your favorite icing. We topped ours with a classic buttercream icing, but these taste yummy with cream cheese frosting or maple buttercream frosting as well. The recipe makes a standard size cupcake but we chose to make ours in mini and for the kiddie factor finished them with some sweet candy corn sugar gummies. They did NOT last long at our house. :)



Pumpkin Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour - (I like to use cake & pastry flour, it makes for much nicer cupcakes)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melt and cool
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 15 ounces of pumpkin puree or 1 can pumpkin puree

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use paper liners to line cupcake pan. For mini cupcakes Preheat oven to 325 degrees; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.In a large bowl, combine, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add all previously combined dry ingredients, and whisk together until smooth. Add pumpkin puree and whisk together until smooth.
2. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and when touched tops spring back, 20 to 25 minutes in a normal conventional oven, rotating pans once if needed. If using a convection oven cupcakes will take less than 20-25 mins, but ovens vary. Mini cupcakes in a convection oven will take 8-10 mins. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
3. Top with your favorite frosting, we used classic buttercream, but creamcheese frosting works great as well. Maple buttercream frosting tastes delish also. For garnish, top with a dusting of light brown sugar and cinnamon(combined). if desired

Classic Buttercream Frosting

Makes: 4 cups

INGREDIENTS

6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup liquid corn syrup
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
vanilla or other flavoring (maple etc)

 

Have ready a greased 1-cup heatproof glass measure near the Stove.

In a medium bowl, beat the yolks with an electric mixer until light in color. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan (preferably with a nonstick lining) and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a rolling boil. (The entire surface will be covered with large bubbles.) immediately transfer to the greased glass measure to stop the cooking.

If using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the syrup into the yolks in a steady stream. Pour a small amount of the syrup over the eggs in the mixer, and beat until incorporated. Continue until all the syrup is used up, and the mixture is pale and sticky, like liquid taffy. Continue beating until the mixture is completely cool.

 

Gradually beat in the butter and, if desired, any optional flavoring.. The buttercream will not thicken until almost all of the he butter has been added. Place in an airtight bowl. Bring to room tempeature before using. Rebeat to restore texture but not until it has reached room temperature to avoid curdling.

 

Tips and tricks

Don't allow the syrup to fall directly onto the beaters as it will spin the syrup around the sides of the bowl. The syrup must come to a rolling boil or the buttercream will be too thin. The egg/syrup mixture must be completely cool before adding the butter. Using a hand-held beater makes this easier.

icing adapted from the cake bible

{Cupcake Love} oh! La de da Cupcake! Croquembouche minis!

We have all seen the iconic Croquembouche by the one and only Martha Stewart! But how about in mini? OH! La de da Cupcake! If you have never seen Croquembouche grace the pages of Martha Stewart Living or watch Martha create this masterpiece effortlessly...I might add...{she makes it look so easy!}...Croquembouche simply put are cream filled profiteroles mounted into the shape of a pyramid, known as Piece Montée, which literally means “mounted piece”. They are absolutely stunning! If you have ever wanted to attempt to make one but have felt intimidated...why not try your hand at this mini version?! The one thing we would do differently...add a beautiful custom cupcake wrapper. We think this mini masterpiece would then be complete.:)

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcake

(Minimally adapted by bakersroyale)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacities) muffin tins with cupcake papers.
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups Cake flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:1. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter until smooth on medium speed.
3. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.
6. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
7. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them just under half way full.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Vanilla Crème Patisserie1 cup of whole milk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk.
2. Combine the remaining milk with sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat and transfer mixture to a new sauce pot. The new unheated sauce pot will help control the heat.
3. Beat whole egg and yolks into corn mixture.
4. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into egg mixture, making sure to whisk constantly so the eggs do not curdle. (See #1)
5. Return remaining milk to boil. Pour hot egg mixture in a stream and continue whisking.
6. Whisk mixture until the cream thickens and comes to a boil.
7. Remove from heat and beat in butter and vanilla.
8. Refrigerate the cream overnight or for at least six hours.

Pate Choux
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
¾ cup water
6 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally.
3. Once boiled, remove from heat and add the flour, stirring to combine completely. (See # 2)
4. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and pulls away from the sides of the pan. (See # 3)
5. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to cool slightly.
6. Transfer mixture to a food processor. (See #4)
7. Leaving the feed tube open add one egg at a time and pulse until incorporated with each addition.
8. Transfer completed pate choux to a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip.
9. Pipe small dots the size of  ½ an inch wide and tall onto parchment paper.
10. Dip your finger in water and smooth any tips that have formed. (See #5)
11. Brush each top with some lightly beaten egg whites.
12. Bake for 13 minutes.
13. Cool completely before filling with cream.

Spun Sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS:1. Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepot until mixture resembles wet sand.
2. Place saucepot over medium heat.
3. Heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pans and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar.
4. Continue heating and stirring until mixture resembles a clear amber color.
5. Remove from heat immediately and place bottom in a pan of ice water to stop the heat.

Assembly
1. Carve a hole with your tip in the puff pastry and then fill with cream. (See # 7, 8, 9)
2. To assemble the mount, carefully dip puff pastry in caramel and stack one on top of another. The caramel will work as the glue to hold the structure.
3. To create the spun sugar use a whisk with cut ends or a handful of wooden skewers fanned out. Dip the end of your chosen tool in the caramel and allow excess to drip down into the pot.  Gently let end of dripping caramel touch the structure. This will anchor the caramel as you move it in the direction you want the spun sugar to be formed.

{via bakersroyale}

{Cupcake Love} Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes + Recipe

How can we possibly resist the temptations of a delicious cupcake? What's not to love?! They are the perfect serving of cake for us ladies...so we can have our cake and eat it too! We have been busy baking up a storm of tempting gourmet delights! We have many favorites....one of them is the Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcake! These are so cute for a Cherry Themed Birthday party.



Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  butter
• 4    egg whites
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 3/4  cup  buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/3  cup  maraschino cherry juice
• 1-1/2  cups  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/2  teaspoon  almond extract
• 12    maraschino cherries, halved
• 1  recipe  Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting
• Maraschino cherries with stems (optional)

Directions

1. Allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups (or coat with cooking spray). In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups. Press a cherry half into batter in each cup.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, pipe Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting over tops of cupcakes. If desired, top with cherries. Makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting: Allow 1/2 cup butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or milk and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Gradually beat in 3 cups additional powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Makes 2 cups frosting.

*Tip: To make 3/4 cup sour milk, place 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup liquid; stir. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.