Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Maple Cupcakes

My Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Maple Cupcakes are little bites of winter heaven. The moist sponge has a subtle warmth from the spices, they are topped with a sweet maple cream cheese frosting and crunchy maple pecan.

Whether you have grown your own pumpkins or bought one that you could not be bothered to carve, my scrumptious Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Maple Cupcake recipe will make sure they don’t go to waste!

Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Maple Cupcakes are easy to make but there are a few elements involved that require more time than I would normally dedicate to a cake. However they are a joy to eat and you get an amazing sweet spice aroma whilst they are baking so the are worth a couple hours of your spare time. If you follow the steps below it will take you around two hours start to finish. Using tinned pumpkin purée will shorten the time. I want to thank my cousin, Jo, for helping me with the decoration. We had a fun night of baking, cooking and pumpkin carving whilst singing along to our favourite 90’s R’n’B hits!

Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Maple Cupcakes

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

280g Plain flour
3 tsp Pumpkin Spice (see below)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Baking powder soda
110g Unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
200g Caster sugar
100g Dark brown soft sugar
2 Large free range eggs, room temperature
180ml Semi-skimmed milk, room temperature
250g pumpkin purée (tinned or see below), room temperature

Step one: Preheat the oven to 180 C / 170 C/ Gas 5. Line a muffin tin with 18 paper muffin cases. Sift together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, bicarb and set aside.

Step two: Beat the butter, caster sugar and dark brown sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, ensure each egg is fully combined before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon the cupcake mixture into the muffin cases, be sure not to fill the cases any more than three-quarters.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and the prick test comes out clear. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

Pumpkin Spice

1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Ground cloves
1/2 tsp Ground allspice

Mix all the ingredients together and save to one side.

Pumpkin Purée

2kgs Pumpkin, deseeded, peeled and cut into chunks.

Step one: Cook the pumpkin in a large pan of boiling water for 15-20 minutes until tender. Carefully strain the pumpkin through a colander over the sink. Tip the pumpkin back into the pan and mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Step two: Open up a clean tea towel or muslin cloth, spoon the mashed pumpkin into the centre and gather up the sides. Twist over a sink to compact the pumpkin and drain excess water.

This can be made the day before, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.

Maple Cream Cheese
170g Cream cheese (I prefer mascarpone)
75g Unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp Maple syrup
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
250g Icing sugar

Whilst the cupcakes are cooling beat the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add in the icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. If the Frosting is a little sloppy you can pop it in the fridge to firm it up.

Maple Roast Pecans

100g Pecans
3 tsp Maple syrup
Pin of sea salt

Step one: Preheat the oven to 180 C/170 C fan/5 Gas. Scatter the pecans on to a baking try lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before using to decorate. Remaining pecans can be kept in an airtight container.

This recipe makes 18 cupcakes. Store in an airtight container and eat within three days.

Enjoy ?

Have you tried my Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting?

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