Pumpkin Cupcakes Revisited

edit: I decided to repost this because it's fall and I'm particularly proud of having developed this recipe. However, I wanted to try out some new ideas. I decided to use the entire 29oz can of pumpkin because I had little use for the remaining cup of pumpkin puree. The batter was too thick and didn't properly rise. The result was closer to a muffin than a cupcake; what little distinction there is between the two was present in the end product.

In a second, much more successful, batch I kept the pumpkin quantity the same, increased the baking powder by half a teaspoon, and increased the flour by a 1/4 cup. The recipe below reflects these changes and was incredibly successful. The cupcakes now have a more cake-like quality to them while maintaining all of the caramely, roasty, pumpkiny flavors I initially sought.

Finally, I'm usually skittish of overfilling cupcakes, but because of the thickness of the batter, these don't rise too much and I daresay it may be difficult to really overfill them. While they used to deflate after coming out of the oven (the main reason I wanted to adjust the baking powder and leavening), they now keep their domed-top shape.

I'm truncating two posts that have combined to make one amazing Pumpkin Cupcake. This time, trial and error more than paid off!

I don't mean to be getting all "Cooks Illustrated" on everything, but when I don't have a base recipe to start from, I tend to go to Taste Spotting in order to research other recipes that people have used. I judge based on looks, and then compare a few recipes.

Pumpkin cupcake recipes were all over the place, though. Some yielded around 14 and contained 2 cups of pumpkin, but another one yielded 24 yet only contained 3/4 cup pumpkin! Spices were actually pretty consistent throughout (1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp cloves were used pretty regularly).

Flour was fairly consistent with all-purpose. One used cake flour, but I'm not exactly sure why. Sugar was... interesting. It seems like the caramel notes of brown sugar would work well with the pumpkin, but only a couple recipes contained any at all. So, with all of that in mind, here's what I want out of a Pumpkin cupcake, and here's what that led to:

Caramel goodness = brown sugar
Toasty warmth = browned butter
Tenderness = buttermilk
Pumpkin like woah = 2 cups pumpkin puree

And here is what I've cobbled together from a few websites (more than one of which cited Martha Stewart's recipes as starting points). Additionally, I've truncated a later post containing my favorite buttercream frosting paired with these cupcakes: brown sugar-cinnamon. It's a perfect combination!

Pumpkin Cupcakes
Yield: 20 - 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Whisk dry ingredients together. Set aside.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Place butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Swirl until fragrant and milk solids are beginning to brown. Remove from heat (browning may continue). Transfer to bowl of stand mixer and let cool.

Add sugars to browned butter and cream until wet, sandy mixture forms. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk (3:2 ratio). Finally, mix in the pumpkin, just until combined.

Scoop batter into muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes until turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
Yield: Enough frosting for about 2 dozen cupcakes

1 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups confectioner's sugar, divided
3 tbsp half and half, divided

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cinnamon and vanilla. Add two cups of the confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. Add in about 2 tbsp of the half and half. Add in the remaining confectioner's sugar until spreading consistency. Add half and half if needed to make it more spreadable.

Cinnamon Rolls

This may be my third or fourth post about cinnamon rolls. What can I say but that I'm a glutton for... well... cinnamon rolls.

The key to perfecting this recipe, and I do think it is perfected here, was to abandon my old dough recipe altogether and start the process with brioche bread dough. The old dough recipe used mashed potatoes to make the dough tender. And it worked. However, as much as I tried to alter the dough recipe, I never found the proper balance: sometimes the cinnamon rolls would be light and dreamy, and other times the dough would be too light and the rolls would collapse in on themselves. I know my way around yeast, so the inconsistent results, while still quite tasty, began to bother me.

Don't get me wrong, my older dough recipe was delicious, but brioche has a richness (thanks to the eggs and butter) that is beyond reproach. The brioche comes courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, though I've modified it to be used for cinnamon rolls. I'd recommend, if not require, a stand mixer for the kneading process (the original recipe doesn't even offer an alternative). Additionally, begin making these the night, if not the day, before you need them. They rise in the refrigerator for anywhere from 10 - 24 hours in addition to needing a second rise after they've been rolled and sliced.

Cinnamon Rolls, as I've come to view any yeasted-bread-based recipe, is a labor of love. Enjoy making them. Enjoy your friends' expressions and gratitude as they devour them. They (both the cinnamon rolls and your friends) are worth it.

Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls
yield: 1 dozen large cinnamon rolls

3 1/4 - 3 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tbsp instant yeast
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup ice water
1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool

Topping
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Icing
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cream, or more depending on consistency

Before beginning, place bowl and dough hook attachment of your mixer in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill thoroughly. This help ensure they don't get too warm during the kneading process.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 1/4 cups flour and the yeast; set aside. In the chilled bowl of your stand mixer, mix together sugar, salt, 3 eggs, and ice water. Add flour mixture and mix with a fork until it begins to come together; using dough hook, knead at low speed until ball of dough forms, about 3 minutes depending on how much you mixed the ingredients with the fork. Raise speed to medium-low and continue kneading, scraping down sides as necessary, until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes longer.

Add butter, one piece at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between additions and scraping down bowl as necessary. This can be a frustrating process filled with stops and starts as you encourage the dough to consume the butter. Patience, here, is key. Continue to knead until a very soft ball of dough forms, about 15 minutes longer, adding remaining flour by the tablespoonful at a time as needed. Place dough in large and very lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 10 - 24 hours. Because of the butter content, the dough will rise only slightly.

In the meantime, make the topping by mixing the butter, sugars, and cinnamon together into a compound butter. This makes it much easier to spread on the dough. Additionally, prepare extra-large muffin pans by greasing lightly with butter.

After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and flatten into rectangular shape. Roll until the dough is about a half-inch thick. Spread topping on dough -an offset spatula works wonders here-, roll into a log, and cut into twelve equal cinnamon rolls. Place in extra-large muffin pans in a draft-free area to rise until doubled in size (the dough should rise above the rim of the tins), 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pans in the oven, reducing the temperature to 350 degrees (325 degrees if you have dark pans like I do). Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let them cool in their pans for about 15 minutes before removing them.

In a bowl, mix together confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and cream until spreading consistency has been reached. Top cinnamon rolls with icing as you see fit. Personally, I like a lot.

Cupcakes!

For a returning caller meeting for work, I decided to make two types of cupcakes. I didn't have time to work on my own recipes, but I started with Tide and Thyme's Red Velvet Cupcake recipe. Looking at other, similar recipes, this one seemed solid, but I added 1 more tables spoon of cocoa powder because recipes that produced a similar volume used 3 tbsp.

Finally, I've made Your Cup of Cake's German Chocolate Cupcakes before, and they were amazing. So good, in fact, that I don't mind the recipe starting off with a box of devil's food cake mix. Why hate on a time-saver?

edit: If anything, I would only make half of the filling for the german chocolate cupcakes.

Vanilla Macarons

My friends got back to me regarding the previous mocha cupcakes. They all loved them, and the most common comment was the "they aren't too sweet or too rich," which is exactly what I was going for. I like the idea of "grown up" cupcakes that aren't filled to the brim with sugar.

And speaking of sugary treats, I decided to give another go of French macarons. I found a cookbook--Macarons: Irresistible French Confections to Make at Home--and got tired of all this folderol over macarons. Some recipes are so specific ("you must use aged egg whites" or "freshly ground almond flour" for two examples) that they make it seem impossible to make these properly.

So let me be frank: I used a recipe using volumetric measurements (I don't have a kitchen scale and I don't have the space for one either); I cut corners (I used a coffee grinder in lieu of a food processor); I guessed when the recipe was vague ("glossy meringue" does not imply soft, medium, or firm peaks).

And all in all, they turned out quite well. They had that adorable little "foot" on the bottom of each. The only thing I might change it to use a form for piping to make my circles equal in size. Otherwise, I found this recipe to be something so many macaron-ers would never think to call a macaron recipe: forgiving.

Vanilla Macaroons
yield: 32 individual macarons

3/4 cup almond flour
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 extra-large egg whites
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Place the almond flour and confectioner's sugar in a food processor (or coffee grinder) and process for 15 seconds. Sift the mixture into a bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites in a large bowl and whip until holding soft peaks. Gradually beat in the superfine sugar to make a firm, glossy meringue (medium peaks that fall over on themselves and don't immediately dissipate into the meringue). Beat in the vanilla extract.

Using a spatula, fold the almond mixture into the meringue one third at a time. When all of the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, continue to cut and fold the mixture until it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbon-like consistency.

Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch / 1-cm plain tip. Pipe 32 small circles on the prepared baking sheets. Tap the sheets firmly on a work surface to remove air bubbles. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (to help form the shell; you should be able to touch the top of the batter without any sticking to your fingers). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Carefully peel the macarons off the parchment paper and let cool completely.



Vanilla Buttercream Filling

4 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Beat in roughly half of the confectioner's sugar followed by the vanilla extract. Beat in the remaining sugar until smooth and creamy. Sandwich between two macarons, making 16 sandwiches.

Mocha Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

I used to make these delightful little treats called Cappuccino Muffins. They were coffee and chocolate flavored, and they were served with an Espresso Cream Cheese mixture. They were more decadent than a muffin should ever be, but the recipe never translated into a good cupcake (though I have tried before). The cake was too dense. Both this recipe, modified from a recipe at Dinner and Dessert's blog, and the buttercream surprised me. The cake was fudge-y and rich without being overly sweet. Likewise, the buttercream was flavorful with out being too sweet or too buttery. Finally, I had some fun piping different designs in chocolate as a decoration for each cupcake. Of course, just a simple chocolate-covered espresso bean can do wonders.

Mocha Cupcakes
yield: 12 - 16 cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp instant espresso powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

In another bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, brewed coffee, and instant espresso powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 - 22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely.

Coffee Italian Meringue Buttercream 

3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar (12 tbsp), divided
2 1/2 tbsp water
20 tbsp butter (2 1/2 sticks), room temperature but not too soft

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp instant espresso powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks. With the mixer running on medium speed, add in 2 tbsp of the sugar gradually, and continue beating until medium peaks.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 10 tbsp sugar and water in a saucepan set over medium high heat. Stir to help the sugar melt. Once melted, stop stirring and boil until it has reached 245 degrees F. This can happen relatively quickly considering the size of your pan. Once the sugar has reached 245 degrees, stream into the egg whites while the mixer is running at medium-high speed. This will cook the egg whites and create a beautiful, voluminous mixture. Continue beating for 5-8 minutes until the mixer bowl is room temperature. It's safer to err on the side of 8 minutes to ensure the egg whites are cooled.

While still beating, add in the butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until incorporated. The mixture may get soupy and will appear to seize. Keep beating (cooling it in the fridge if necessary) until it comes together. Trust me, it will. Dissolve the espresso powder in the vanilla and add to the frosting. Beat until combined. I decorated mine with melted chocolate in the shape of owls, a Batman symbol (because why not?), and asterisks with a chocolate-covered espresso bean in the center.

Thoughts and Future Works

Ideas I really need to set into motion...

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes: Vanilla cupcake, cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top, cinnamon buttercream, cinnamon-sugar sprinkles.

PB and J Cupcakes: Vanilla cupcake, strawberry jam filling, peanut butter frosting.

Sandwich cookies: cocoa-nib shortbread sandwiched with chocolate ganache and dipped in chocolate, hazelnut and chocolate bacci.

Also, I tried to make a White-Chocolate Lemon Curd as a filling for wedding cake cupcakes. Basically, I used about 3oz white chocolate and 3-4 tbsp of butter in my regular lemon curd recipe. The result was nothing short of decadent and wonderful.

White Chocolate Cupcakes, White Chocolate Frosting

I'm experimenting with Italian Meringue Buttercream. Well, technically I experimented with it last week; I simply didn't make any cupcakes to go with the frosting. As a result, it sat in my fridge, sad and unused. In an effort not to be so terribly wasteful, I'm making a white chocolate variation. The basic frosting is simple--just omit the white chocolate--and I found it very tasty and easy to pipe. It has a texture comprised of density from the butter and airyness from the meringue. One would think those textures would be diametrically opposed to one another, but the result is a delicious frosting.


White Chocolate Cupcakes
yield: about 16 cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cup sugar

3 extra-large eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup milk

4 oz white chocolate, chopped and melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl as necessary, and avoid over-beating.

Mix in the dry ingredients alternately with milk in a 3:2 ratio, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Remove the mixing bowl and fold in the melted white chocolate until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes they are until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Frost with White Chocolate Frosting.


White Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream


5 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup butter
1 tbsp vanilla
4 oz white chocolate, melted


In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks. With the mixer running on medium speed, add in the sugar gradually, and continue beating until medium peaks.


Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar and water in a saucepan set over medium high heat. Stir to help the sugar melt. Once melted, stop stirring and boil until it has reached 245 degrees F. This can happen relatively quickly considering the size of your pan.


Once the sugar has reached 245 degrees, stream into the egg whites while the mixer is running at medium-high speed. This will cook the egg whites and create a beautiful, voluminous mixture. Continue beating for 7-10 minutes until the mixer bowl is room temperature. It's safer to err on the side of 10 minutes to ensure the egg whites are cooled.

Cut in the butter 1 tbsp at a time with the mixer running on medium-high speed. The mixture may get soupy (if so, let it chill for a couple minutes and continue beating) or it may look broken (continue beating). In the end, the frosting will deflate to about half its original volume. Mix in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Let cool and pipe onto cupcakes.