This is a recipe that I tried over the weekend along with one other, soon to follow. I bought a pumpkin impulsively and set about creating a couple of ideas. These spiced pumpkin cupcakes make a welcome sweet treat, perfectly finished by the citrus laced cream cheese icing.
At this time of the year, I find myself using warming spices more and more in both sweet and savoury dishes. I start buying more nuts too. I like to have a few to hand to add to wintry salads, breads, cakes and to sprinkle on top of baked pudding for crunch.
These cupcakes are based on a simple throw everything into a bowl and mix school of cooking. No previous baking experience required. Just a love of good cake.
Here are some of my previous pumpkin & squash recipes which may have you buying one pumpkin for carving and one for cooking with. My next pumpkin recipe will be a perfect accompaniment to the savoury dishes listed below.
Thai squash noodle & spinach soup
Spiced pumpkin Rum & choc chip loaf
Butternut squash pear & ginger soup
Spiced sausage squash & chickpea tagine
I am sending these cakes over to “Let’s cook with pumpkins” at Simply Sensational Food.
Also linking up to Alphabakes this month. It’s the letter “C”. Perfect for cupcakes. This challenge is hosted by Ros at The more than occasional baker and Caroline at Caroline Makes.
These little bakes are are perfect for brining to your attention The virtual bake sale for Macmillan cancer support. highlighting a very good cause.
Pumpkin Orange & Pecan Muffins
Ingredients
- 225 g Caster sugar
- 225 g Light muscovado sugar
- 525 g Plain flour
- 2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp Ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Allspice powder
- 4 Medium eggs whisked
- 240 ml Sunflower oil
- 120 ml Water
- 450 g Cooked pumpkin mashed
- 1 Orange zest only
- 75 g Mixed dried berries I used dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries & golden sultanas
- For the icing 🙂 enough to ice 12 cupcakes 🙂
- 120 g Unsalted butter room temp
- 120 g Icing sugar sifted
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Cream cheese
- 1 Orange zest only
Instructions
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Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees,
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Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases,
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Put the sugars, flour, bicarb of soda, spices and salt into a large mixing bowl,
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Add in the whisked eggs, oil, water, mashed pumpkin, orange zest. Mix thoroughly before folding in the dried berries,
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Pour half the cake batter into the 12 cupcake cases. Reserve the other half of the batter to make a traybake cake or cook a further 12 cupcakes if you prefer smaller cakes. The traybake will also take 25 minutes to cook,
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Let the cakes cool completely before icing.
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For the icing:)
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Whip the butter with the vanilla until it is light and fluffy,
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Add in the icing sugar and whisk this in using an electric hand whisk or food processor,
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Fold in the orange zest and the cream cheese,
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Use to top the cooled cakes,
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This icing recipe covers 12 cupcakes so double up the recipe if you are covering all 24, or the 12 cupcakes and the tray bake.
Recipe Notes
This mixture makes either 12 cupcakes and 1 tray bake or 24 cupcakes. You could freeze 12 of the cupcakes if you do not need them or make a traybake with the other half of the mixture and freeze that for a later date.
These look really good Laura, the orange icing gives them a very stylish look… a much better use for a pumpkin than a Halloween lantern!
Yes, I do agree Sarah. Love using pumpkin to cook with at this time of year 🙂
These look perfectly delicious Laura! I love a zingy cream cheese frosting so will be making these with boys next week 🙂
The icing is really good and sits very well with the sponge below Katie!
ooh yummy, definitely my kind of muffin!
Thanks Helen, a good way to get my kids eating pumpkin too!
These sound delish! I’m loving baking with pumpkin at the moment – and eating it in savoury dishes too. I’m a summer girl through and through but when the autumn gives me pumpkins, I can’t entirely hate it 🙂
I am definitely a summer person too!
These look lovely Laura, spices definitely feel tight at the moment. Still grateful for recipes that I can use my Mother Hubbard squash in too (the flesh is very similar to butternut in flavour and texture) so loving the links to savoury recipes too.
Oh lucky you, no pumpkins or squash for us this year. Always good to find new ways with pumpkins 🙂
They’re perfect, I’m going to bake some for Thursday I know they’ll be popular with all the little witches, cats and ghouls we’ll be seeing.
I hope so and they could be made to look much more Halloween with a few sweets on top!
These spiced pumpkin cupcakes look very tasty!
If you would like, I’d love you to pop over and link this up with #cookandcraft to share creativity through cooking and crafty fun. You can find it on my Home menu under Cook and Craft. Lydia x
I tried to lydia, but it was reading “page not found”. Sorry!
Your cupcakes sound delicious Laura. I’ve really missed not having any pumpkin this year – not a single one of ours came up.
Sad to hear that Choclette, we didn’t even manage to get any seeds planted this year!
I love these! I love pumpkin cakes and that orange frosting sounds the perfect topping!
Pumpkin & orange are definitely good partners Jayne!
They look wonderful Laura. What a great flavour combo.
Thanks Jac, makes a very good cupcake 🙂
These look amazing – I love the flavour combination and the icing looks lush! All in one recipes are m favourite – no faff and great results each time. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
These look so pretty and like you I am enjoying squashes and pumpkins, and the spices are so lovely. Yum!