If there is one new dessert you try this Winter, please oh PLEASE, let it be this one! Moist and squishy pumpkin cupcakes loaded with fresh ginger, tangerine zest and cinnamon topped with luscious brown butter cream cheese frosting are sure to get you in the Thanksgiving spirit with or without friends and family to share them with.
Brown butter and pumpkin (or any kind of squash for that matter) is one of those legendary pairings and when you layer the tangy goodness of real cream cheese and cozy sweet spices, you get a totally delicious outcome.
This is also a kid friendly recipe. The cake itself is a two bowl deal. One for wet, the other for dry, the wet gets hand mixed into dry and voilà! Cupcakes! I make my own pumpkin pack (of course) and so should you. It really isn’t time consuming or hard and the flavor is much better than anything you can get out of can. The cake is not overly sweet either – another bonus for caregivers who want to give kids a holiday treat without the inevitable sugar high come down / meltdown.
To make pumpkin pack simply quarter a Sugar Pie or Sweetie Pie pumpkin, scrape out seeds (but don’t worry too much about the stringy pumpkin guts) and roast the pumpkin wedges on a rimmed baking sheet with a 1/4 cup of water for 20 minutes at 425˚F until soft. Allow to cool, remove the skin, then blend into a thick purée in the Vitaprep (try not to add any extra liquid). Pumpkin pack makes great soup, it’s a nice addition to homemade breads and biscuits, elevates pie to something truly special and gives cakes a moist crumb with the healthy benefit of vitamins and minerals.
We had a lot of fun decorating these cupcakes with pumpkin candies and candy corn for funny looking turkeys. Since my kids are so young, this was just the right level of difficulty. Layla enjoyed the process and Hettie enjoyed eating the process!
Stay warm and healthy! I did say these cupcakes have fresh ginger in them, didn’t I? Ginger is loaded with antioxidants that help to prevent stress and might help fight diseases and promote healthy aging – so if you need an excuse to indulge, there ya have it!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tangerine, zested
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (if you want this recipe sweeter you can make it 1 full cup, but I like the frosting sweet and cake not overly sugary)
- 1 cup pumpkin pack, canned or fresh
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 12 ounces real cream cheese (like Gina Marie – not whipped) softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted twice for lumps
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Get your kitchen assistants to line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, brown sugar, pumpkin pack, ginger, tangerine zest and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a hand mixer or whisk to blend until smooth.
Using a 1/3 cup scooper, fill the liners with batter. Pop into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely.
For the Frosting:
Put the butter in a small pot on the stove top over low heat. Once the butter melts and starts to gently simmer the milk solids will foam on the top. Stir the butter a few times and allow the milk solids to caramelize. They will sink to the bottom of the pot and further darken to a deep brown. Once the sizzle sound has stopped, your butter is browned. Cool in a bowl in the fridge or the freezer if you're in a hurry. Before using in frosting allow browned butter to come back up to room temperature or your frosting will be lumpy.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer (and normal beaters – not whisk beaters) beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on a lower speed until combined, then kick up the speed to high and beat further until the mixture is silky smooth.
Fill a pastry bag with frosting and use your favorite pastry tip! You can use a fluted tip or a simple round one like I did. Frost cupcakes and dot with pumpkin candies (so easy!) or break out the candy corn and sugar eyeballs and make silly looking turkeys.
