11/10/20 11/10/20

Olive Oil Pumpkin Cupcakes with Rosemary Buttercream

These lightly spiced olive oil pumpkin cupcakes with rosemary buttercream are a refreshing fall treat. Different and delicious, these cupcakes are easy to make with a few simple steps that are filled with flavor.

Pumpkin is a fall staple. You have the pumpkin spice anything, everywhere. So why not take it and make it a little different this year? Like these olive oil pumpkin cupcakes with rosemary buttercream! It's different but still oh so good, and anyone with hankering of a savory sweet dessert will love these!

What You'll Need

Olive oil - To make a cake olive oil based, you only need to replace the vegetable oil with good quality olive oil. The olive oil adds in flavor while adding moisture to the cake.
Pumpkin puree - A very important ingredient for these cupcakes, I just bought a can of Libby's pumpkin puree from my local grocery store.
Rosemary - When making the rosemary buttercream, make sure you get fresh rosemary from the produce section of the grocery store. DO NOT use the dried rosemary in your spice cupboard!!!

Row of three olive oil pumpkin cupcakes with the rosemary buttercream.

How to make these olive oil pumpkin cupcakes

Combine all of the dry ingredients and sugars into a large bowl.
Using a whisk, mix the dry ingredients together.
In another bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients.
Mix the wet ingredients together with a whisk.

5-6. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients and mix together.

7. Using a cookie scoop, portion the batter into the cupcake tin.

How to make rosemary buttercream

It's incredibly easy to make a simple rosemary buttercream. You just need to make a simple buttercream and then add in some finely chopped rosemary! That's all there is to it.

Make a simple buttercream by mixing butter and powdered sugar.
Remove the rosemary from the stem and finely chop it.
Add into the buttercream and mix it for a minute to incorporate.

Olive oil pumpkin cupcakes unwrapped and cut open face.

Tips & Tricks

Not sure if you'd like these olive oil pumpkin cupcakes with rosemary buttercream? No worries! You don't have to use olive oil. It can easily be replaced with regular vegetable or canola oil and just be a simple pumpkin cupcake. Not sure about having rosemary in the frosting and think that it might be a bit too weird? You can just skip it completely and make a cream cheese buttercream instead if you want! Either way it will be a delicious pumpkin cupcake!

Other recipes to try!

Sweet potato spice cake

Butterbeer cupcakes

Pumpkin ice cream

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olive oil pumpkin cupcakes with rosemary buttercream

these pumpkin cupcakes are on the savory side with olive oil and a sweet rosemary buttercream

cupcakes

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil (you can use canola oil as well)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1, 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream
1-2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary sprigs

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with liners. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and mix until incorporated. in another bowl, combine the olive oil, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree and milk and whisk together. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined. scoop the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. add in the rosemary.

7/10/20 7/10/20

Margarita Cupcakes

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.

One of my favorite cocktails is a classic margarita. Especially during these hot summer days at one of my favorite pizza places at the lake in Minnesota, Zorbaz. Since the whole virus started and everything has been mostly closed, I wasn't able to get my hands on a margarita when I was home for a few weeks back in June. So instead I made these margarita cupcakes, and let me tell you. These cupcakes are SO good!

This cupcake is flavored with fresh lime and tequila (obviously). I then soaked in more tequila (because you need all of the tequila!) Then it's topped with a simple buttercream that is flavored with more lime, and tequila (of course!) And lastly, they are topped with a sprinkling of sea salt and a candied lime to top it all off.

The first thing that you get one you take a bite of one of these babies is tequila. But that's specifically the whole purpose! It's a margarita cupcake! You can't have a margarita without tequila. If you aren't into all of the tequila, you can always omit it from the buttercream and use extra lime juice instead. Overall, these margarita cupcakes were a hit and I cannot wait to make them again. Next time with an actual margarita on the side.

Products I recommend

Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. I highly suggest getting the maldon sea salt to top these cupcakes with. It brings it all together, like the salted rim a margarita glass holds.

margarita cupcakes

these cupcakes are filled with fresh lime juice and lots of tequila!

cupcakes

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp tequila (i used silver)
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp tequila (for soaking the cake)

buttercream

3 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
6 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp tequila (can replace with lime juice)
1 tbsp lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
maldon sea salt (for sprinkling)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place jumbo cupcake liners into cupcake pans. Note that if you use regular liners, the time will be different for baking.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk together.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, lime zest and juice, tequila, sour cream and milk and whisk to combine.
Gradually add in the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until fully incorporated.
Place a 1/3 cup of the batter into each cupcake liner and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once the cupcakes come out of the oven, brush with the reserved 2 tbsp of tequila, generously.

buttercream

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip on low, gradually increasing the speed, for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with maldon sea salt.

6/16/20 6/16/20

Grapefruit Poppy Seed Cupcakes

grapefruit poppy seed cupcakes

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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.Who's ready for some grapefruit poppy seed cupcakes?? I know I certainly am! These cupcakes are light and pack a citrus punch of grapefruit that's topped with such a simple buttercream that has a little texture and crunch from the poppy seeds. Want to add even more to the buttercream? Just add in a little bit of grapefruit zest or even make it into a poppy seed cream cheese buttercream for a little more tang. It'll be delicious either way you go!Not a fan of grapefruit? No problem! Just replace the juice with lemon, lime, or even orange juice and make it your own! I cannot say this enough and will always give you other options when it comes to baking. It's a science and it's always fun to make it your own! Just follow the recipe and just substitute out the juice and zest for what suits your needs. So instead of grapefruit poppy seed cupcakes you can make them into lemon poppy seed cupcakes! Now that sounds delicious!

grapefruit poppy seed cupcakes

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grapefruit poppy seed cupcakes

Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. I highly recommend having a cookie/ice cream scoop in your kitchen arsenal. Having one makes it easy to scoop cupcake batter into the liners and makes the batter distributed evenly.

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grapefruit poppy seed cupcakes

light and tart cupcakes topped with a simple buttercream with poppy seeds

cupcakes

1 1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp grapefruit zest
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
3/4 cup buttermilk

buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/1 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place cupcake liners into the cupcake tins. in a large bowl combine the cake flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda and whisk to combine. in another bowl, mix together the egg, oil, grapefruit zest and juice, buttermilk and vanilla. add the wet into the dry and mix until everything is fully incorporated. using an cookie scoop, distribute the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4/18/20 4/18/20

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

banana chocolate cupcakes

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*This post contains affiliate links. Please read disclosure to learn moreSitting at home bored out of your mind with nothing to do because of the virus? How about making some banana chocolate cupcakes to snack on? These little guys aren't too sweet and the chocolate buttercream on top is delicious thanks to the black cocoa powder I had on hand. All's you need is some overripe bananas and some good tunes.Not sure you want banana chocolate cupcakes but would prefer to mix it up a bit instead? You can certainly add in some chopped walnuts or pecans into the cake batter. Add in some chocolate chips too while you're at it! And then instead of using chocolate buttercream, then I suggest either a good cream cheese buttercream or even a peanut butter buttercream to pair with the banana cupcakes. Anything goes well with bananas, you just need to find the right kind of mix-ins that you want to add to them. banana chocolate cupcakes

banana chocolate cupcakes

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banana chocolate cupcakes

Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. For the buttercream I highly suggest using the King Arthur Flour black cocoa. It gives any baked good this beautiful dark chocolate color to it and it's not overly sweet. It's perfect for these banana cupcakes as it pairs so well together.

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banana chocolate cupcakes

these soft banana cupcakes wouldn't be complete without the mound of chocolate buttercream swirled on top.

cake

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup greek yogurt
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond milk
3 ripe bananas (i use frozen bananas, thawed)

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream

cake

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place cupcake liners into the cupcake tins. in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda and whisk to combine. in another bowl, mix together the egg, oil, yogurt, bananas, milk and vanilla. add the wet into the dry and mix until everything is fully incorporated. using an cookie scoop, distribute the batter into the cupcake tins and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

10/1/19 10/1/19

Butterbeer Cupcakes

butterbeer cupcakes

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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.I love harry potter. It was a childhood favorite of mine, and still is! I've read the books a couple of times and watched the movies so many times I can't even keep track. Have you been to the harry potter universe at orlando? I've been wanting to go there so badly to just and try all of the food. Especially a nice glass of butterbeer. But since I can't go I made these butterbeer cupcakes instead.I think that some people have different ideas of what butterbeer tastes like, but for me it's the basic butterscotch and cream soda combination. So these cupcakes have a cream soda cake that is filled with butterscotch! Go here to see a video of these cupcakes being made! Also check out my favorite cookie recipe that features harry and the gang! butterbeer cupcakes

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butterbeer cupcakes

Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. One of my favorite things that I have many of are the BlueQ oven mitts. They aren't just really funny and a great statement piece for your kitchen, but they are great quality too!

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butterbeer cupcakes

a moist cupcake made with cream soda that's filled with a butterscotch ganache and topped with a sweet simple buttercream

cupcakes

2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup cream soda

ganache

1 cup butterscotch chips
3 tbsp heavy cream

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp cream soda

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with liners. in a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until incorporated. in another bowl, combine the oil, eggs, vanilla, and cream soda and whisk together. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined. scoop the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

ganache

place ingredients into a bowl and microwave until smooth.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

8/7/19 8/7/19

Coconut Passion Fruit Cupcakes

coconut passion fruit cupcakes

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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.These coconut passion fruit cupcakes are as good as they are pretty. It's a coconut cupcake that is filled with a tart passion fruit curd. They give the feeling of being on a sandy beach in the tropics. So this coconut cupcake is light and fluffy but it's also got the artificial coconut extract in it. I know, I know it's not the best thing to use artificial coconut extract. It's got that weird flavor to it but how else can you get that actual coconut flavor? That's where I added some shredded coconut on some of the buttercream so you get the coconut but not a whole lot of artificial flavor or overpowered from the passion fruit.Now you don't have to use passion fruit for the curd. You could use pineapple, lemon, lime, or any other kind of fruit that you love to pair with coconut. I personally would love to try it with pineapple, I think that sounds absolutely delicious! coconut passion fruit cupcakes

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coconut passion fruit cupcakes

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coconut passion fruit cupcakes

these fluffy coconut cupcakes are filled with a tart passion fruit curd and topped with a creamy buttercream

cupcakes

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp coconut extract
3/4 cup milk

curd

1/2 cup passion fruit puree
1 tbsp lemon zest
4 egg yolks
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp butter

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with liners. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until incorporated. in another bowl, combine the oil, eggs, coconut extract, and milk and whisk together. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined. scoop the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

curd

in a small pot, combine the passion fruit puree, lemon zest, egg yolks, egg, and sugar and whisk constantly over medium heat. make sure to continuously whisk to prevent the eggs from curdling. continue whisking until it starts to thicken. remove from the heat and add in the butter. strain through a fine mesh sieve and place cling wrap directly on top of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. place in the fridge until cool.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

7/23/19 7/23/19

Guava Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

guava cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.At my brand new job they have these little puff pastries filled with guava paste and cream cheese. It was one of the best things that I had tried in a long time. I wanted to use those flavors and make them into a cupcake and they sure did not disappoint! So I found some guava paste at a grocery store I use to go to when I was in college and I was surprised at how much you got in a box for a good price! Being from a very small town in North Dakota that not all stores (or any) will carry guava paste, but you can always get it from amazon! Is there anything you can't buy online these days?Now I took the easy route when it came to adding the guava paste into the cupcake. That was just by cutting it into small cubes and putting it in the center of the batter before baking. If you don't want it to sink, coat it with a little flour to prevent it from sinking. (That was something I forgot to do). If you don't want it in a big chunk, then combine it with a 1/4 cup of water and boil it down into a smooth paste. Then put it into a piping bag and swirl it into the batter. guava cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

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guava cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. For these cupcakes you need the guava paste!! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, which you should be able to find it in the ethnic aisle, than get it off of amazon.

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guava cupcakes

these cupcakes have a guava filling that compliments the cream cheese buttercream perfectly.

cupcakes

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup buttermilk
8 oz guava paste

buttercream

8 oz cream cheese
2 sticks unsalted butter
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with liners. in a large bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until incorporated. in another bowl, combine the oil, eggs, almond extract, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk together. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined. take the guava paste and cut into small cubes and then coat in a tablespoon of flour. scoop the batter in the cupcake pan and place a cube of the guava paste in the center and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

buttercream

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. scrap down the sides of the bowl and then add the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue mixing until fully combined. gradually add in the heavy cream until it is a spreadable consistency.

2/10/19 2/10/19

Spank Me Cupcakes

chocolate blood orange cupcakes with white chocolate raspberry ganache

spank me cupcakes

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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.

These spank me cupcakes are filled with a pop of intense flavor. Chocolate, blood orange, raspberry. It's a party in your mouth. Plus that name though! The name was inspired by the sprinkles. My mom signed me up for a sprinkle subscription box with Fancy Sprinkles, so every month I get a box of 3 new bottles of sprinkles and they each come with a unique name. This particular bottle was called "spank me", so of course it sounded super naughty and thought it would be a good fit for a valentine's day cupcake.

Change it up!

Instead of making these spank me cupcakes with blood orange, which can be hard to find, just replace it with the juice of a regular orange. Blood orange is a winter fruit, and not all grocery stores will have it, so it can be pretty hard to find.

Instead of doing raspberry in the ganache, you can easily do strawberry or even blueberry if you want. Or you can just keep it as a simple white chocolate ganache. It really doesn't matter what you do, it's really just there to add some more flavor and make it a lot more fun.

spank me cupcakes

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spank me cupcakes

Products I recommend for making this dessert.

Above are some products that I personally use and recommend for this recipe and to have for everyday use. My absolute favorite is the BlueQ oven mitts. I have a collection of them and I love them! They are great quality and it’s nice to have a kitchen item with a sense of humor.

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spank me cupcakes

a dark chocolate blood orange cupcake that is filled with a raspberry white chocolate ganache and a simple buttercream

cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1 tbsp blood orange zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

ganache

1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
3/4 cup white chocolate

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with liners. in a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt and mix until incorporated. in another bowl, combine the oil, eggs, blood orange juice and zest, vanilla, and buttermilk and whisk together. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined. scoop the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

ganache

combine the heavy cream and raspberries in a small bowl and microwave for 1 minute. stir and mash the raspberries then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. add in the white chocolate and microwave for another 30 seconds until the chocolate has melted. let chill until cool.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

11/26/18 11/26/18

Spiced Pecan Cupcakes

pecan cupcakes

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*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more, please go here.

A perfect way to end the fall season is by enjoying one of these spiced pecan cupcakes. Filled with cinnamon and cayenne pepper, these cupcakes will kick the heat up a notch on a cold day while the caramel filling and buttercream will add sweetness. Super easy to make and even better to eat.

Now when I say these spiced pecan cupcakes are spiced, I mean that the cayenne in them gives it a lovely kick. The caramel filling though helps balance the heat with the creamy sweetness so it isn't horrible. Although if you aren't great with spicy food, you can always add a little less or not add any at all. It's completely up to you and the spice level that you can handle.

Here are some other fall favorites!

This list is composed of some of my favorite fall cake recipes that are here on the blog! It's a variety of flavors, spices, and a little bit of unique quality that I thrive for.

Olive oil pumpkin cupcakes with rosemary buttercream

Smoked pumpkin cupcakes

Ginger cake with pumpkin buttercream

Devil's cake

pecan cupcakes

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pecan cupcakes

Products I recommend for making this dessert.

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spiced pecan cupcakes

these cupcakes are filled with pecans, lots of spices, and a caramel filling; topped with a simple buttercream

cupcakes

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg yolk
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pecan pieces

caramel

1/2 granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
pinch salt

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with liners. in a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. in another bowl, combine the oil, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk and whisk together. pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until fully combined and then mix in the pecan pieces. scoop the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cake cool for 10 minutes before frosting.

caramel

in a small pot combine the sugar and water until wet like sand. avoid getting sugar on the side of the pot, if you do just wet your hand with water and scrape the sides of the pot carefully to remove the sugar particles. place over medium heat and leave until it turns into a golden brown. do not stir! once golden brown, turn off the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream until fully combined. then add in the butter, salt, and cayenne pepper. put in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

10/18/18 10/18/18

Smoked Pumpkin Cupcakes

Enjoy these smoked pumpkin cupcakes that come with a fun and savory twist. Fluffy pumpkin cupcakes with a lovely smoky flavor from the smoked brown sugar.

Close up photo of hand holding a smoked pumpkin cupcake with lots of sprinkles.

It's fall, so of course everything has to be pumpkin related. I have quite a few recipes that I will be posting that feature pumpkin! And these cupcakes of course being one of those recipes. It is a smoked pumpkin cupcake made with smoked brown sugar and buttercream frosting. The smoked brown sugar gives it a savory yet subtle flavor to the cupcakes with the added sweetness of the buttercream makes it a perfect match.

What you will need

Smoked brown sugar - This is a vital ingredient for making these cupcakes. It gives the cupcakes that smoky flavor. You can get this on Amazon.
Pumpkin puree - I used Libby's pumpkin puree that I bought at my local grocery store.
Spices - This recipe only calls for nutmeg to help enhance the smoky flavor.

How to make these smoked pumpkin cupcakes

1-2. Place the dry ingredients and sugars into a large bowl and mix together with a whisk.

3-4. Put all of the wet ingredients into another bowl and mix to combine.

5-6. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined.

7. Using a cookie scoop, divide the batter among a cupcake tin.

Darkhorse smoked brown sugar bag with one whole cupcake and another cupcake cut in half.

Variations

These smoked pumpkin cupcakes might not be a hit for everyone as the smoky flavor can be a bit strong if you use too much. And that's completely understandable that not everyone will like their desserts with a smoky flavor to it. You can always replace the smoked brown sugar with regular brown sugar. There's no harm in trying to make it more child friendly and getting rid of the smoky flavor altogether. But if you are the type to try something new and different, than I highly suggest giving these a try.

Other recipes to try!

Pumpkin ice cream

Brown butter chocolate chip cookies

Vanilla cake with pumpkin spice white chocolate ganache

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smoked pumpkin cupcakes

these pumpkin cupcakes are made with a smoked brown sugar that brings the flavor to a whole new level

cupcakes

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp smoked brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 stick + 6 tbsp butter
1 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk

buttercream

3 sticks salted butter
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. place cupcake liners into the pan. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, smoked brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl. add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. add in the baking soda, nutmeg, salt and flour and mix on low, gradually adding in the milk at the same time until the batter is smooth and all the ingredients are fully mixed together. divide the batter among the cupcake pans and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool 10 minutes, remove from the pans to continue cooling.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

8/14/18 8/14/18

Vanilla Cupcakes

vanilla cupcakes

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These super gorgeous vanilla cupcakes are what I just made for my friend's baby shower this past weekend. It was fun making these and piping all of the buttercream roses since I haven't done it in so long. The traveling though was something I would've loved to live without; having to drive 5 hours with these babies in my car isn't all that fun to do. At least it wasn't a cake. Can't wait for this baby girl to join us in the world soon. She is going to be so spoiled and loved by everyone she meets.

Change it up!

For these vanilla cupcakes you can really use any type of frosting you want. You could use a tangy cream cheese buttercream or even a dark chocolate buttercream. Really any kind of buttercream will go perfectly with these cupcakes.

vanilla cupcakes and buttercream roses

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vanilla cupcakes

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vanilla cupcakes

soft vanilla cupcakes covered in a light and airy vanilla buttercream

cupcakes

3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
5 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

buttercream

4 sticks salted butter
6 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-3 tbsp heavy cream

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. place cupcake liners in the pans. in a large bowl combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk. in a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. divide the batter evenly among the cupcake pans and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. let cool and then remove from the pans.

buttercream

put all of the ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. start slow and then gradually increase the speed. whip on high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

1/21/18 1/21/18

Almond Raspberry Cupcakes

almond raspberry cupcakes

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Aren't these little guys just so cute! I'm in love with the way these almond raspberry cupcakes turned out: light, fluffy, and lots of fruity flavor!

Now these cupcakes are super simple to make. The recipe is small so there won't be a gazillion cupcakes sitting around on your counter either. I find that to be a good thing because if I have a ton of cupcakes sitting on my counter it would be my breakfast, lunch and dinner until they were all gone. And since these almond raspberry cupcakes are so light you could eat like three in a sitting.

Change it up!

These cupcakes are delicious as they are but what if you don't like raspberries? Well that's a simple fix! Simply swap the raspberries out for your favorite berry. You can use strawberries, blueberries or blackberries. Even do multiple berries for fun!

One thing you could even do is instead of almond extract in the cupcakes you could lemon extract, or even better. Princess extract!

Swiss meringue buttercream

One thing that I notice is that lots of people don't know how to make swiss meringue buttercream. There are a lot of hit and misses when it comes to making it, but they are super easy to fix. Sign up below to get my buttercream guide for free to learn about the hit and misses on making swiss buttercream and others too!

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almond raspberry cupcakes

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almond raspberry cupcakes

fluffy almond cupcakes topped with a fresh raspberry swiss meringue buttercream

cupcakes

3 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

buttercream

1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 oz egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

cupcakes

preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. line cupcake tins with liners.
in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form and then set aside.
in a large bowl mix together the cake flour, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
in a separate bowl, combine the oil, milk and extracts. add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and slowly mix until incorporated.
Gently fold in the egg whites. scoop the batter into the cupcake liners and bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

buttercream

in a small pot bring the raspberries and 1 tbsp sugar to a boil. strain the raspberries into a bowl to remove the seeds and let cool.
place the egg whites and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and place over a pot of boiling water to create a double boiler, whisking together until the sugar dissolves. The mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on high until a meringue forms, about 3 minutes. slowly add in the butter and continue mixing for 2 minutes. add in the vanilla and raspberry sauce and mix until the buttercream comes together.