Wednesday, November 4, 2009

PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

Autumn is a wonderful season on all levels. Culinarily speaking, it is harvest time and the stalls are full with gorgeous vegetables and fruits. Nature is colorful and so are our plates too...

On Halloween morning (Saturday the 31st of October), I still had not yet prepared anything in order to celebrate this special day, so I thought that I'd better get busy in the kitchen and come up with something to mark the event.

As I usually do when I'm looking for ideas, I went online and googled my way through the net. I was looking for an easy recipe th
at would both be scrumptious and not too fussy to make (time was limited). That's how I stumbled upon a "Pumpkin Cupcakes" recipe that would give me the opportunity to use the pumpkin puree and the tons of cream cheese I had on stock in my fridge.

I could not have chosen a more delightful recipe. Those "Pumpkin Cupcakes" turned out wonderfully spicy, lusciously moist as well as light and so pretty with their delightfully fluffy frosting. The pumpkin pie flavors of the cakes blended so well with the orangy, sweet and slightly tangy taste of the cream cheese frosting.

Heavenly like a kiss and regressively irresistible like playful innocence
!

~ Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting ~
Recipe by Gastronomer at "Gas-tron-o-my" (USA) and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Makes 22 cupcakes and about 2 cups of frosting.


Ingredients for the cupcakes:
2 Cups (255g) All-purpose flour
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Sea salt
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1 Tsp Ground ginger

1/4 Tsp Freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ground allspice

1 Cup (240g) Packed light-brown sugar
1 Cup ( 210g) Granulated sugar
1/2 Cup (120g) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 Cup (105g) Vegetable oil
4 Large eggs, lightly beaten

1 can (15 oz/450g) Pumpkin puree
Ingredients for the frosting:
8 Ounces (240g) Cream cheese, at room temperature
8 Tbs (1 stick/120g) Unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 Cup (120g) Confectioners’ sugar
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/2 Tsp pure orange extract


Method for the cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth.
5. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
6. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each a
bout 2/3 of the way.
7. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if n
eeded.
8. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.


Method for the frosting:
9. Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Usi
ng a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. 10. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
11. Sift in confectioners’ sugar, and continue beating until smooth.
13. Add vanilla and orange extract, and stir to combine.

14. Top the cupcakes with the frosting and decorate as desired.

Remarks:
I recommend you to use the following pumpkin: Potimarron (French) = Hokkaido Pumpkin = Chestnut Pumpkin = Baby Red Hubbard = Uchiki Kuri = Chinese Pumpkin = Japanese Pumpkin = Sugar Pumpkin. You can also make this pudding with Butternut squash, but it will be less tasty.
To obtain fresh puree, take your pumpkin, cut it in half, d
eseed it and peel it, then cut it in cubes and steam. Once it is cooked, mash the pumpkin flesh. It has to be a very smooth and thick (not to wet) puree.

Serving suggestions:
Serve those cupcakes for afternoon tea with a hot drink of your choice (tea, coffee, caffè latte, hot milk, etc...).

***************

~ Cupcakes Au potimarron, Glaçage Au cream Cheese ~
Recette par Gastronomer de "Gas-tron-o-my" (USA) et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour 22 cupcakes.

Ingrédients pour les cupcakes:
255g de Farine blanche

1 CC de Bicabonate de soude
1 CC de poudre à lever/cake

1 CC de Sel de mer
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre

1 CC de Gingembre en poudre
1/4 de CC de Noix de muscade en poudre
1/4 CC de Tout-épice en poudre

240g de Sucre brun clair
210g de Sucre cristallisé
120g de Beurre non-salé, à température ambiante
105g d'Huile d'arachide

4 Gros oeufs, à température ambiante
450g de Purée de potimarron
Ingrédients pour le glaçage:
240g de Cream cheese, à température ambiante
120g de Beurre non-salé,
à température ambiante
120g de Sucre en poudre
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1/2 CC d'Extrait d'orange

Méthode pour les cupcakes:
1. Préchauffer le four à 180° C.
2. Placer les caissettes en papier dans les moules à cupcakes.
3. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble la farine, la bicarbonate, la poudre à lever, le sel et les épices.

4. Dans un grand bol, battre ensemble les sucres avec l'huile et le beurre. Ajouter les oeufs, puis incorporer les ingrédients secs. Bien mélanger afin d'obtenir une pâte homogène.
5. Incorporer la purée de potimarron.
6. Remplir les caissettes au 2/3.
7. Cuire pendant 20 à 25 minutes ou jusqu'à ce qu'un couteau inséré au centre d'un cupcake en ressorte propre.
8. Mettre les cupackes sur une grille et laisser refroidir.


Méthode pour le glaçage:
9. Mettre le cream cheese dans un bol moyen et le ramollir à l'aide d'une spatule.
10. Ajouter le beurre et battre afin d'obtenir un mélange léger.
11. Ajouter le sucre en poudre tamisé et continuer à battre le mélange afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène et léger.

13. Ajouter la vanille ainsi que l'extrait d'orange et bien l'incorporer.
14. Glacer les cupcakes et les décorer selon votre envie.

Remarques:
Je vous recommande d'utiliser les courges suivantes: Potimarron (potiron doux d'Hokkaido/courge de Chine) ou la courge Butternut (bien moins goûteuse que le potimarron).
Pour obtenir de la purée fraîche, prenez votre potimarron, coupez-le en deux, enlevez les graines et pelez-le, coupez-le en cubes grossiers et faites-les cuire à la vapeur. Une fois cuits, écrasez-les (ou passez-les au mixer) afin d'obtenir une purée fine et épaisse (pas trop liquide).

Idées de présentation:

Servir ces cupcakes à l'heure du thé avec une bonne boisson chaude (thé, café, caffè latte, lait chaud, etc...).

75 comments:

  1. These are so perfect & delicious looking!

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  2. Rosa are amazing!! and beauty! I really love your cupcakes!!! so cute! gloria

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  3. hummm! hummm!
    c'est superbe en plus, bravo
    bisous

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  4. They are simply gorgeous and perfect.

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  5. Tes cupcakes sont superbes! Avec le potimarron c'est extra!

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  6. What a better way to celebrate it then using seasonal bounty that nature has offer us. Perfect pumpkin transform into a perfect cupcakes! Superb indeed.

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  7. The billowy frosting on top looks great, and the orange extract sounds delicious with pumpkin!

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  8. Good looking muffins and the topping is interesting too.
    Iffet

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  9. I love the way you present ur pics...

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  10. What a great idea. I've never thought of pumpkin cupcakes. They look great!

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  11. Lovely cupcakes and they have such a beautiful colour!

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  12. Dear Rosa, all week I've been thinking of making pumpkin cupcakes, while my guys have been asking for pumpkin pie.
    And looking at that gorgeous spicy pumpin cupcake with the obligatory cream cheese icing, well, I have made my decision.

    I'll just have to blame you.

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  13. Rosa, I bought few sugar pumpkins and was trying to decide what to do with them. I prefer to make my own pumpkin puree because it just tastes way better. I will have to give your recipe a try, thanks! They look so perfect and what a lovely color.

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  14. ..de toute beauté!!..ta recette me tente franchement beaucoup ma chère Rosa..surtout qu'il me reste pas mal de citrouille;)

    ~nancy xx

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  15. These are just lovely!

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  16. die sehen wunderschön aus, mit ihrer goldgelben Herbstfarbe und Schneehaube.

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  17. i love the cloud of frosting on top. i'm not a pumpkin-lover, so that puff would be what i'd devour first. :)

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  18. I love your cupcakes!

    Paz

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  19. Just how do you always manage to come up with the cutest, most irresistable things? There are sooo gorgeous; the first photo is perfection and would make anyone feel hungry.

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  20. j'adore tes cupcakes et ce glaçage me fait tres envie

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  21. So cute :-) Very nice color, I'd love to try some of these...

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  22. They look so beautiful and flavourful.

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  23. What lovely cupcakes! The cream cheese frosting was the perfect choice!

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  24. Ta photo donne envie de mordre dedans à pleines dents.

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  25. Comment résister à cette beauté !

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  26. Bien trop jolis pour être mangés:))

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  27. Ohh they are so orange and pretty! I make a similar cupcake that I will be posting soon.

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  28. Irrésistible ! Tu me donnes faim là ;)
    Bises.

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  29. this cup cake is rili love at first sight! ;) look sooo pretty!! vat a talent you have rosa!! great job!
    cheers!

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  30. Made in heaven.
    Absolutely perfect, amazing work, recipe and photos x

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  31. They were perfect for Hallowe'en too, they look like little ghosts with that wonderful icing.

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  32. Rosa, your desserts always look so scrumptious and these cupcakes are no exception.

    : )

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  33. These pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for a grab n' go breakfast with a good hot cup of coffee. Very nice Rosa!

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  34. Great job, Rosa! Your pumpkin cupcakes are picture perfect!

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  35. This is too strange... I was just looking for a pumpkin cupcake or muffin recipe... and I happen to fal on those oh! so sweet and soft cupcakes! Niiiiice!

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  36. These sound delicious. They look beautiful too!

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  37. Tes photos sont superbes! Tu me donnes envie de les faire! J'ai des restes de potimarron (?) alors c'est parfait!

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  38. Moi je pèle après cuisson, c'est plus facile et moins dangereux:)

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  39. Very pretty cupcakes Rosa. They do look delish

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  40. Tes cupcakes sont tout simplement superbes !

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  41. fan di muffins & Co. come posso resistere difronte a tanta bellezza e bontà?....sei sempre molto brava Rosa!!!
    biz:)

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  42. Belle couleur pour colorer cette journée toute grisouillante.

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  43. Wow Rosa, those muffins are such a warm beautiful color! I love it!

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  44. Classic seasonal sweet treat - charming, Rosa!

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  45. Those are just the sweetest photos, Rosa! Anything pumpkin is a hit in our house and I love the cream cheese frosting.

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  46. Ils me font littéralement craquer:)

    Bon jeudi Rosa!!xxx

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  47. Ils sont trop beaux pour être déguster:))

    Bonne journée!
    Isabelle

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  48. Pumpkin cupcakes that are spicy and light? I'm sold!! Give me the entire batch :)

    All the best!

    Gera

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  49. keskelles sont belles, tes cupcakes!

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  50. Qu'est-ce qu'ils sont beaux et tentants.

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  51. C'est vrai que l'automne est une belle saison bien qu'elle la fin des beaux jours et surtout l'hiver.
    Saison que je n'aime pas.
    Quoiqu'il en soit, tes cupcakes sont très réussis. Rien qu'en regardant le "frosting", j'ai envie de mordre dedans.
    Bien à toi
    verO

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  52. Ils sont magnifiques et bien tentants.
    Bisous

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  53. Ils sont delicieusement gourmands ces pumpkin cupcakes, avec leur glacage si aérien, j'adore. bises

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  54. je craque devant ton glaçage parfait !

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  55. Looks good! I'm baking pumpkin cuppycakes tonight though mine will be topped with a brown butter glaze! Hope mine turn out as lovely as yours!
    ~ingrid

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  56. Quelle magnifique chapeau creemy pour ces cupcakes très classes!

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  57. These look so perfect! You've got some gorgeous photos. I've had pumpkin bread and imagine these cupcakes would taste great too.

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  58. Coucou!

    Je viens de tomber amoureuse! :)

    Ils sont magnifiques:)

    Bisous!

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  59. Je suis autant attirée par le gateau que par son glaçage ! très tentant !

    * * Bises

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  60. You are amazing....you have magic in your hands..

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  61. I'd love a muffin or two with some coffee now. Pumpkin is so versatile...pity so many throw the carved ones out after Halloween.

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  62. I love pumpkin & all the spices you used in this cupcakes....
    Sound very delicious :)

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  63. I adore cupcakes!!!. The pumpkin cupcake is surely enticing... the clicks are gorgeous ..I like the twirl on the frosting!.. Cute!

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