It’s the Great Pumpkin Patch Cupcake, Charlie Brown!
Happy Thursday, folks! Fall recipes are in full swing, even though the weather certainly hasn’t caught the memo. Still, I’ve been kicking my autumn wardrobe up a notch to further deepen my inspiration for the seasonal shift. A couple days ago I bought a lovely plaid scarf that I might just whip out soon because I can, even though my neck will turn into a slip and slide from sweat.
Worth it.
What else is worth it? Spending the weekend upcoming baking this gorgeous, slightly spooktacular Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes. The perfect nibble for cooler weather and trips to the local farm for hayrides and pumpkin picking. Our soft, moist pumpkin cupcakes are frosted with a rich dark chocolate buttercream and best enjoyed alongside a cup of chai tea or a toasty mug of Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate.
Less babble, more baking, so let’s do this.
Bumpkin Batch
First, of course, the cupcakes.
Whip vegetable oil with brown sugar and regular sugar until combined. Beat in three eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, plain Greek yogurt, and a whole-ass can of pumpkin puree. Yep, no awkward leftover pumpkin here.
Tip: Be sure your dairy products are at room temperature before baking. Cold eggs an yogurt = weird texture.
Mix in flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, until just combined. This means the last streak of flour has disappeared into the batter, but there still might be lumps floating around. Smooth batter will yield stringy, flat cakes.
Line two 12-slot cupcake tins with parchment or paper liners. Scoop the batter into each slot, filling 2/3 of the way full. Depending on what your eyeball measurement of 2/3 is, you will get 22-24 cupcakes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the toothpick you use to stab the centermost cake emerges with a couple teensy crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely.
Frost Boss
To finish, we’re whizzing up a rich dark chocolate buttercream. I quite like how sinister the black swirls look atop. Cozy fall meets Halloween.
Anywho. Drop a couple sticks of butter into your mixing bowl along with some vanilla. Whip until pale and creamy. Add black cocoa powder, regular cocoa powder, 5 cups of powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Continue swirling on medium speed until silky smooth.
Tip #1: If you don’t have black cocoa powder, regular cocoa is just fine, but the color will be paler.
Tip #2: Add more heavy cream if the buttercream is too stiff! You may need up to 1/3 cup.
I used the Wilton 1M tip to pipe the spirals atop my cupcakes. You can use a different tip and get all fancy pants decorative if you wish, or just slap on the buttercream with a frosting knife. They’re gonna be endearing and delicious either way!
Bake ahead? Cupcakes can be stored for up to 3 days, unfrosted, in the fridge, and an additional 2 days after frosting. So, 5 days total, after which I’d transfer leftovers to the freezer for up to 3 months.
Black cocoa powder? I like King Arthur best!
Happy pumpkin picking, ya’ll!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Witch, you deserve a treat:
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes
pumpkin patch cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
dark chocolate buttercream
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp black cocoa powder
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with parchment liners.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil, brown sugar, and sugar for 2-3 minutes until combined. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, yogurt, and pumpkin puree. Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined, but do not overmix.
- Fill each cupcake tin 2/3 of the way with batter. Depending on what your heart says 2/3 of the way full is, you will get 22-24 cupcakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes until an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer the cupcakes to wire racks. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Whip the butter and vanilla extract on medium speed until the butter turns pale and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cocoa, black cocoa, 5 cups of the powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons of cream. Whip on medium speed until fluffy. You may need an extra tablespoon of two of cream to achieve the desired texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed, to properly incorporate all the ingredients.
- Pipe or frost each cupcake with the buttercream using your favorite piping tip. I like Wilton 1M!
