Another excellent holiday treat, these Pumpkin cupcakes are a crowd pleaser. These definitely pack a large amount of pumpkin flavor; paired with the maple buttercream, I just can’t stop eating them! I better make a New Year’s resolution to workout more because this holiday season is going to fatten me up. 🙂

The base for this recipe comes from a new cookbook I have called “Bread” published by Publications International. The buttercream recipe originates from The Smitten Kitchen’s Swiss Buttercream recipe. I love this recipe and use it to make variations regularly.

Ingredients Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cup AP flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ground all spice

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup solid-pack pumpkin

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup milk

6 tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

Ingredients Frosting:

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla

12 tbsp butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a standard muffin pan with paper baking cups. This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes, so plan accordingly.

Using a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, and spices. Then, whisk in the milk, butter, and eggs until well blended.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring until fully incorporated. Spoon evenly into muffin cups, fill each cup about 2/3 full.

Bake for 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Now, we will make the frosting. Start by bringing a medium-sized sauce pan half-filled with water to a simmer. Use a metal bowl that will fit over the sauce pan, and beat the egg whites and maple syrup together over the simmering water. This step is really important, you want to heat the egg whites until they are hot, nearly scalding, to the touch. During this process, your mixture will begin to froth, doubling in size and changing to a light caramel color.

 

Once the mixture becomes hot, remove it from the heat of the water and continue to beat on high for 5 minutes. It should slightly thicken and double in size again during this time.

 

Add the vanilla and continue beating. Then add the butter one stick at a time, also continuing to beat. Once all the butter is added, beat the frosting until it thickens to the consistency you would like. This will take time, and the length of time may vary every time you make this frosting. Just keep beating it; it will thicken. Once it reaches the right texture, you are done.

Frost your cupcakes, and enjoy!