Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Just a quick post today to share these delicious Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes by Cupcake Jemma. 

I love pumpkin, so this time of year is exciting for me. Although my housemate thinks it's poison... She's a weirdo, how can you not love pumpkin?

She is away for a week and so this was the perfect opportunity to bake these cupcakes, she is lucky to have such a considerate housemate. 

This is a recipe by my girl crush Cupcakes Jemma and her recipes never fail to please. If you can get you hands on some of the pumpkin purée that is in the stores at this time of year, I highly recommend you try this one out. 



Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
by Cupcake Jemma

makes 24 cupcakes

For the cupcakes

220g caster sugar

175g soft dark brown sugar

300g self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 425g tin of unsweetened pumpkin puree

200ml vegetable oil

4 large free-range eggs

50g pumpkin seeds

For the cream cheese icing

150g unsalted butter, softened

240g cream cheese

840g icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Whisk the sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer to get rid of any lumps, then sift in the remaining dry ingredients (apart from the pumpkin seeds), and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt.

Whisk the wet cupcake ingredients together in a bowl, then add to the dry mix, beating until smooth and glossy.

Fill the paper cases two-thirds full with mixture but don't bother to smooth it out.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until they spring back when touched.

Leave to cool, transferring to a wire cooling rack after 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing often until golden and starting to pop, then set aside to cool.

For the cream cheese icing, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pale and smooth. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl, then add to the butter mixture in two stages, beating well between each until beautifully smooth - if the mix seems too loose, add a little more icing sugar until the consistency is just right.

Once the cupcakes are cool, decorate them with the cream cheese icing, then sprinkle the toasted seeds and sprinkle on top.

Happy Baking x