Pumpkin Spice Mini Cupcakes with Buttermilk Buttercream Icing and Caramelized Pecan Topping

This is a great pumpkin spice cake recipe. I’m making mini cupcakes, but you can also make a cake, loaf, standard size cupcakes – just remember to adjust the cooking time.

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For the pumpkin spice mini cupcakes:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
4 eggs
1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt

– Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Line mini muffin tins with paper cases.
– In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Set aside.
– In bowl of mixer, stir sugars together. Add shortening and mix until combined.
– Add eggs and mix.
– Add pumpkin and mix well.
– Mix in vanilla extract.
– Stir in flour mixture.
– Spoon mixture into muffin tins and bake for 10-15min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
– Cool in tins for about 10min and then cool completely on wire rack.

For the caramelized pecan topping:

1 cup pecans
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup

– Cook pecans in a saucepan until lightly toasted and fragrant.
– Add sugar and syrup and stir constantly until caramelized.
– Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and cool completely.
– Pulse in mini chopper/food processor until desired coarseness. You can also chop nuts by hand with a knife.

For the buttermilk buttercream icing:

2 sticks butter
1 lb confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk

– Mix together until light and fluffy.
– Pipe onto cupcakes and sprinkle with pecan topping.

Whip Up a Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pie (Libby’s Recipe)

This is a very easy recipe and works every time. If you’d like to make it a little more homemade, you can always make your own crust and you can puree your own pumpkin.

To make your pumpkin puree, cut a pie pumpkin in quarters, scoop out seeds, place in a large microwave safe bowl with some water in the bottom, cover with cling film, and cook for 15min in mircowave. Once flesh is cooked, puree with food processor or blender. I ususally pass the puree through a sieve to make sure I get a very smooth puree.

Recipe from: https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18470/libbys-famous-pumpkin-pie/

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

How to Make a German Sour Cream Apple Cake

This is a great recipe for apples and the sour cream custard compliments them beautifully.

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Ingredients for 1-2-3 Dough:

1 cup Sugar
2 cups Butter
3 cups Flour
1 Egg, beaten

– Mix flour and butter together until roughly combined.
– Mix in sugar.
– Add egg
– Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hr.

Ingredients for Cake:

½ recipe 1-2-3 Dough
4-5 Apples, peeled, cored, and halved
Dried breadcrumbs
½ cup Whipping Cream
2 Eggs
1 cup Sour cream
1 tbsp Corn starch
½ cup Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla

– Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC and grease and flour a 9″ springform pan.
– Press dough into bottom and sides of pan. Dough should come about ¾ up the side of the pan.
– Sprinkle enough breadcrumbs to cover the bottom.
– Score the top of each apple and arrange in pan with scored side up, adding pieces to fill in the holes.
– Combine whipping cream, eggs, sour cream, corn starch, sugar, and vanilla.
– Pour over apples and bake for 1-1½ until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
– Cool on wire rack in tin.

How to Make Apple Spice Cupcakes with a Spiced Buttercream (Gluten-Free)

These are great autumn cupcakes. The apples and spice go perfectly together and the spiced buttercream is super yummy!

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Ingredients for cupcakes:

2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups rice flour (or all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups finely shredded apple

– Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
– Line 2 x 12 cup cupcake pans.
– In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Set aside.
– In a mixer, combine brown sugar, eggs, and oil until well mixed.
– Add in flour mixture. Mix on low while slowly adding buttermilk.
– Mix in vanilla and shredded apple.
– Divide evenly into cupcake pans and bake for 20-25min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
– Cool on wire rack.

Ingredients for icing:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups (1 lb) confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp water

– mix butter, sugar, spices, and vanilla in a bowl. Add water to obtain desired consistency.
– Pipe or spread on cooled cupcakes.
Enjoy!