Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting are moist, dense, and robustly-flavored with fall spices that combine perfectly with the sweet, creamy, fluffy yet dense, marshmallow buttercream.

Sometimes I have a little bit of pumpkin puree leftover in the bottom of the can and wonder what I’m going to do with it. Too much to toss, but not enough to make something big with.

But bigger isn’t always better and in the case of these cupcakes, good things came in a batch size of just six cupcakes.

Really, I don’t need more than six cupcakes at once. A dozen is only good if I have a party to attend and two dozen is only good if I plan to go up a size in my jeans. Cupcakes tend to dry out quickly, the frosting hardens and becomes crunchy, and they just don’t hold up well to the test of time. And by cupcake number 19 in a batch of two dozen, they are being forced upon anyone who can choke down a dry, pitiful excuse of a baked good.

I solved the big-batch problem and the question of what to do with the last dribble of pumpkin puree in one fell swoop with these.

I made the batter in one bowl, with a whisk, in about 66 seconds.  Simple combine the first eleven ingredients together into a bowl, all at once, and whisk. I know that sounds like a lot of ingredients for a simple recipe, but it’s largely sugars and spice and everything nice. If you don’t have all the spices on hand, don’t worry about it and use what you do have.

Then add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and you’re ready to bake off the half-dozen amber gems.

Some people bake marshmallows on top of their sweet potatoes, but I’d rather add marshmallow frosting to the top of pumpkin cupcakes. While the cupcakes baked, I made the marshmallow buttercream. I wasn’t going to make anything other than a simple glaze using confectioners’ sugar and splash of cream because I didn’t want to over-complicate a situation that came about and was intended to use up leftovers, not create more food or more work. However, I like a little cupcake with my mountain of frosting, and making frosting was a priority worth dirtying my mixer.

I beat one stick of butter, half a jar of marshmallow creme, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract until it was smooth and light. The frosting is fluffy yet dense, buttery, rich, sweet, and indulgent; the way frosting should be. The recipe makes a bit more than you’ll likely need for the six cupcakes, and can be refrigerated for many weeks and used in any holiday baking projects you have coming up. Or you can just grab a spoon and go to town on the extra.

The frosting was a bit too soft to pipe and I despise piping bags anyway because so much of the precious commodity becomes stuck to the sides of the bag and is wasted. We don’t waste frosting in this house; we eat it. So with a spoon, I dolloped the frosting onto the cupcakes, making little peaks and crests as best I could, and my family was too busy wiping their sticky hands to notice my decorating job anyway.

Fall-themed spices including cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and cloves are favorites of mine and are so well-suited for pumpkin. I especially adore cloves and I need to remember to bake with them more often throughout the year, rather than just in the fall. Inhaling the robustly fall-flavored scents that emanated from the cupcakes was almost as good as licking the frosting from the top.

These little cupcakes were so moist from the pumpkin puree and from the Greek yogurt I added to the batter. I also used oil instead of butter, which makes for moister cakes and cupcakes.

I kept the baking powder to an absolute minimum and although some is needed for lift, I find that using any more than a very slight amount results in dry cupcakes or dry baked goods in general. Plus, I am keenly sensitive to its chemically taste and am careful not to over-do it. Although some people enjoy a lighter and more delicate crumb and texture, I prefer cupcakes a bit heavier and denser. I like to be able to sink my teeth into a cupcake and have a nice solid bite, not at all airy or crumbly, and the texture on these was just how I like it.

For a recipe that was intended to use up the last bits of the pumpkin puree in the can and made using a batter that I eyeballed, tossed together in one bowl, in one minute flat, I cannot complain. Nor could Scott. He loved these things and scarfed down three in twelve hours. Clearly no issues with lingering leftovers.

And because they’re made with a vegetable, well technically pumpkin is a fruit, you could probably even convince yourself they’re good for you. Exactly.

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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

By Averie Sunshine

This is a small-batch recipe and makes just 6 cupcakes, perfect for times when more is not better. The recipe will also help you make use of that last little bit of pumpkin puree in the bottom of the can that you didn't know what to do with. The cupcakes are moist, dense, and robustly-flavored with fall spices. The sweet, creamy, fluffy yet dense, marshmallow buttercream is the perfect complement to the half-dozen little cupcakes.

Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

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Ingredients  

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For the Cupcakes

• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ heaping 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• ▢ 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vanilla or plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• ▢ 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ pinch salt, optional
• ▢ 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, softened
• ▢ about 3/4 cup Marshmallow Creme or Marshmallow Fluff, about half of one 7-ounce jar (you don't need to measure it since it's so sticky, just eyeball it and use half the jar)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ½ to 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted is preferred

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Instructions 

• For the Cupcakes - Preheat oven to 350F and line a standard-sized muffin pan with 6 paper liners or spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine egg, pumpkin, oil, yogurt, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, salt, and whisk until smooth and combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and stir until just Incorporated, taking care not to over-mix and over-develop the gluten, which results in tougher cupcakes. Divide batter equally among liners (they will be over 2/3 full, not quite 3/4 full) and bake for about 18 minutes, or until tops are golden, domed and set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, taking care not to over-bake and even just 2 extra minutes can result in a much drier cupcake. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them and transferring to a rack to finish cooling. While they are baking or cooling, make the frosting.
• For the Marshmallow Buttercream - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the marshmallow creme and beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fluffy. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, and beat to incorporate, starting slowly and then beating on high speed for about 2 minutes. Depending on desired frosting consistency, add more sugar until desired consistency is reached. If you've added too much sugar and frosting has become too thick, add a dollop of marshmallow creme too thin it back out, or a splash of milk or cream. Frost cooled cupcakes and serve immediately. After they're frosted, cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator (due to the butter in the frosting) and will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days; however they are best eaten fresh.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 564kcal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 206mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 71g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Do you have a favorite way to use that last little bit of pumpkin puree in the can?

All my Pumpkin Recipes are here, some of which use a whole can 15-ounce can, but many of my recipes as well as those I read and try from others, use only a half cup or one cup. Therefore, I’m frequently left with partial cans of pumpkin puree wondering what to do with it. Necessity is the mother of invention and I start tossing things together, hoping for the best. This savory pumpkin and potato recipe was borne from that situation.

And with these half-dozen cupcakes and my last bits of pumpkin puree used up, I bid Pumpkin Season 2012 adieu. This will be my last pumpkin post until 2013. Bring on the molasses and the ginger.

My favorite recipes from fall 2012’s pumpkin lineup:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache – I love this cake and it goes down as one of my favorite cakes ever, not just favorite pumpkin cakes, but favorite cakes, period. Skip the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and make this cake

Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies – These cookies really grew on me and I made them twice in a matter of one week, which almost never happens with desserts because I’m always onto something new

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Cinnamon Overnight Pull-Apart French Toast with Vanilla Maple Butter

Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola (vegan, GF)

Pumpkin and Cheesy Baked Potato Casserole (vegan, GF)

Please link up your favorite pumpkin recipes.

Thanks winners of the Pure Vanilla Cookbook Giveaway are Cassie, Laura Dembowski, and Chef Amber Shea

The winner of the Vanilla Bean Sampler Pack and Glass Jar Giveaway is Paula