Description
Delight in these festive Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes, featuring moist pumpkin-infused cupcakes filled with rich salted caramel sauce, topped with a creamy pumpkin buttercream swirl and whimsical fondant pumpkin toppers. Perfect for Halloween celebrations, these cupcakes combine seasonal spices and a beautiful presentation for a spooky treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 200 g self raising flour
- 100 g salted butter
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 g pumpkin puree
- 100 ml milk
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 160 g white sugar
- 200 ml heavy cream
- 80 g salted butter
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
Pumpkin Buttercream
- 450 g powdered sugar
- 225 g salted butter
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin powder
- 2 tablespoon milk (optional)
Decoration
- 60 g orange fondant
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- Make the fondant pumpkin toppers: Knead the orange fondant until smooth and pliable. Dust your workspace with cornstarch and roll the fondant thin to about ⅛th of an inch. Cut out pumpkin shapes using a pumpkin shaped cutter, making extras. Keep them covered to prevent drying. Use a toothpick to draw lines, then lightly dust with cocoa powder for depth. Draw eyes and mouth with a black food marker. Paint the stalk with green food coloring and let dry until ready to assemble.
- Bake the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 175℃ and line cupcake tin with liners. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated each time. Mix in pumpkin puree. Fold dry ingredients into wet in two batches, alternating with milk. Fill liners three-quarters full and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare the salted caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, whisk in butter until smooth. Gradually whisk in cream in a thin stream until fully combined. Cook on low until slightly thickened. Stir in sea salt flakes. Cool to room temperature before using.
- Make the buttercream: Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Sift powdered sugar and pumpkin powder into bowl and lightly mix with spatula. Beat at low speed initially, then medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and beat to combine. If too stiff, add milk gradually in small increments, beating well after each addition.
- Assemble the cupcakes: Transfer caramel sauce and buttercream into piping bags, using star tip #1M for buttercream. Core the cupcakes using a corer or piping tip and set aside cored pieces. Fill holes with caramel sauce, then cover with the top layer of cored cupcake pieces. Pipe buttercream swirls on top. Press fondant pumpkins lightly into buttercream to secure.
Notes
- Wear gloves when tinting fondant to avoid staining hands.
- Crack eggs into a separate bowl to avoid shell contamination.
- Avoid overmixing the batter; mix only until combined at low speed.
- Use a spring-loaded or cookie scoop for even cupcake batter portions.
- Caramel sugar can burn quickly; adjust heat and turn off burner intermittently when melting sugar.
- Butter causes the caramel to bubble vigorously; this is normal.
- Use a candy thermometer to monitor caramel temperature; 105°C produces drizzling caramel.
- Lightly mix buttercream ingredients with a spatula before using mixer to prevent sugar dust.
- Use piping bags for neat filling of caramel and buttercream.
- Check cupcakes a few minutes before baking time ends to prevent dryness.
- Cupcake liners are approximately 5 cm base diameter and 3.5 cm height; yield is about 14 cupcakes.
- Cool cupcakes covered with a kitchen towel to maintain moisture; store airtight.
- Use a light-colored saucepan for caramel to observe sugar color changes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
