Fall may be nearing an end, but I have discovered a valuable secret that I think it’s time to share.
Pumpkin still tastes good in the winter.
Hard to believe, I know. Mind-blowing, really. But it’s true. Especially if you’re lazy like me and use organic canned pumpkin instead of getting your hands all goopy, then putting the kind of brute force that should only be used in professional football into your kitchen knife. Those gourds, man – they really don’t want to get cut.
I don’t much care for pie, so on Thanksgiving, I opted to make these adorable miniature cupcakes for dessert instead. I thought that making them miniature would help me eat less, but my calculations may have been slightly off.
7 mini cupcakes = 1 real cupcake…. right? maybe?
Let’s just round up, 8 sounds better.
My favorite part of these cupcakes is the way the caramel complements the flavor of the pumpkin and the creamy, sweet maple frosting. The combination is absolutely delightful, especially when paired with a bit of vanilla ice cream on the side.
And just because I know you guys love action shots, I have included four almost unnoticeably different photos of drizzling caramel.
You are welcome.
Miniature Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and a Salted Caramel Drizzle (adapted from Joy of Baking)
For the cupcakes:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh or canned pure pumpkin (about 1/2 of a 15 ounce can)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups sifted cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
For the frosting:
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 4- 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
For the caramel (you will have tons left over, so you can cut in half if you want… but I don’t think you’ll have a problem eating it):
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp fleur de sel
Directions:
To make the caramel, combine the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. This is the only time you can stir the sugar. If you stir it while it’s cooking, it turns to rock candy. Place the saucepan over medium to low heat until the sugars start to dissolve, 5 to 10 minutes. Then turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until the sugar starts to caramelize, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not stir while this is happening. You’ve got to watch the pot, because it goes from caramel to burnt really quickly. And be careful, the mixture is extremely hot!
Turn off the heat and stand back to avoid splattering. Slowly add the cream. Don’t panic – the cream will bubble violently, and the caramel will solidify. Just give it more time to liquefy again-trust me!
Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in fleur de sel. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place mini cupcake liners in a mini cupcake pan.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to the pumpkin batter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter in half and then pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for approximately 10 – 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of your food processor or electric mixer and pulse until smooth. Add the maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar and process just to combine. (Do not over process or the frosting will be too thin.) Pipe into a pastry bag or a ziploc bag that you cut the corner of. Once the cupcakes are cool, top them with it. Drizzle with caramel sauce.
Source: ringfingertanline.com (defunct blog)
