Pumpkin Spice Jack O’ Lantern Cupcakes

This is the season for all things pumpkin and I was craving pumpkin flavored cupcakes. 

Check out my YouTube video to see how to make the cupcakes and icing.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Adapted from “Pumpkin Muffin” in the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook

  

Ingredients:

-1½ cups (200 grams) all purpose flour

-½ teaspoon (2.3 grams) baking soda

-1 teaspoon (2.5 grams) ground cinnamon

- ¼ teaspoon allspice

- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

- 1/8 teaspoon clove

- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) salt

-1 cup + 1 tablespoon (111 grams) brown sugar

-1 cup + 1 tablespoon (111 grams) granulated sugar

- ½ cup (100 grams) vegetable oil

-1 cup (210 grams) pumpkin puree

-2 large eggs (100 grams)

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prep cupcake pans by placing cupcake liners in each cup.  Spray the muffin liners with non-stick vegetable spray if you are going to decorate the cupcake as a Jack O’ Lantern (see below). 

Place flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, clove, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk until evenly mixed.

In a large mixing bowl combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil on low speed for one minute.

Next, add the pumpkin puree and mix on medium-low speed until smooth. 

Add the eggs (one at a time) and mix thoroughly after each. 

Next, add the dry ingredients in two additions.  Do not over mix. 

Put the batter in the muffin tin and put the tin in the oven.  Immediately lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and back for 22 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean).  Let the cupcakes cool in the cupcake pans for 10 minutes and then remove the cupcakes from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, cover the cupcakes in frosting.  I highly suggest using Cream Cheese Icing (see the recipe below).

Cream Cheese Icing

 Ingredients:

-8 ounce (227 grams) package of cream cheese

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-1 pound (454 grams) powdered sugar

- ½ cup (114 grams) softened butter

Making the Icing:

Put cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl and combine until fully incorporated. 

Jack O’ Lantern Decoration

Tools:

Fondant (orange and black)

Tootsie roll

Fondant rolling pin

Spatula

Small spoon

Scissors

Cookie cutters (star)

Veining tool

Cutting tool

Paintbrush

Small cup of water

Remove the wrapper from the cupcake and place on a plate.

Using a small spoon, scoop out a small hole in the top of the cupcake.  Fill the hole with cream cheese icing and use a spatula to cover the cupcake with a thin layer of the icing.

Roll out the orange fondant, place it over the cupcake, and smooth.  Remove the excess fondant at the bottom of the cupcake using a cutting tool.  Next, using a veining tool, make eight lines around the pumpkin from top to bottom to create the pumpkin sections. 

Cut the tootsie roll in half, roll it into a small, round log with one pointed end.  Cut a small hole in the top of the pumpkin and push the tootsie roll stem into the cupcake. 

Next, roll out the black fondant and use a cookie cutter to make the Jack O’ Lantern faces.  I used star tips for the eyes and nose.  Get creative with the faces you put on the pumpkin.  Use the paintbrush to put a small amount of water on the back of the face pieces and place on the pumpkin.  Do not move the black face pieces once they are on the orange fondant because the black will stain the orange fondant.

Once the face is on the Jack O’ Lantern, the project is finished!

These turned out really nicely and they are so cute.