Stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes with Penuche Frosting
These Stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes are soft, warmly spiced, and filled with sweet Penuche frosting for a fun fall treat. The brown sugar frosting is rich and caramel-like, making a delicious contrast with the pumpkin spice cake.
Equipment
- 12- or 24-cup muffin pan
- Cupcake Liners
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Small saucepan
- Pastry bag or cupcake corer
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Penuche Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 3½ cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a bowl.
- Mix pumpkin and buttermilk together.
- In a separate bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add eggs one at a time.
- Add the pumpkin mixture and dry ingredients alternately, mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Divide batter among liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting, in a medium size saucepan, melt the butter. Add the sugar and mix in. Cook until the mix starts to bubble, then remove from the heat. Add the milk, mixing quickly.
- Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Let cool slightly until thick enough to pipe.
- Cut or scoop a small hole from the center of each cupcake.
- Pipe Penuche frosting into the center, level with the cupcake top.
- Frost the tops and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
- Don't overmix: Mix the batter only until the ingredients are combined for tender cupcakes.
- Cool completely: The cupcakes must be cool before filling and frosting.
- Frosting consistency: If the Penuche frosting becomes too thick, stir in a teaspoon of milk at a time.
- For neat filling: A cupcake corer or small round piping tip works well for creating the center hole.