Description
Celebrate autumn with these charming Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes, featuring moist pumpkin-spiced cupcakes filled with a creamy pumpkin filling, topped with pale orange buttercream frosting, and decorated with adorable fondant pumpkins, vines, and spiders for a festive Halloween treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Optional: A few drops of orange, yellow, or green food coloring
For the Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
For the Pale Orange Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 tbsp milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Orange food coloring (a few drops for pale hue)
For the Fondant Decorations (Optional):
- 8 oz white fondant (store-bought or homemade)
- Orange, green, and black food coloring
- Cornstarch or powdered sugar (for dusting)
For the Edible ‘Dirt’:
- 1/2 cup crushed chocolate cookies or graham crackers
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla extract and pumpkin puree until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients and Combine: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves in another bowl. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with milk, mixing just until combined. Optionally, add food coloring to portions for swirling effect.
- Bake Cupcakes: Spoon batter into muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Pumpkin Filling: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir until smooth, and mixture thickens about 7 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
- Hollow Out Cupcakes: Using a small knife or cupcake corer, remove a small section from center of each cooled cupcake. Fill holes with spiced pumpkin filling.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: Beat softened butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk or cream. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add orange food coloring drops to achieve pale peachy hue. Adjust consistency with more milk if needed.
- Frost Cupcakes: Using a piping bag with a large round or star tip, pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, starting from center outward to create a pumpkin shape.
- Create Fondant Pumpkins (Optional): Color fondant orange, green, and black. Roll orange balls for pumpkins and add ridges with toothpick. Attach small brown stem on top. Roll green strips for vines and shape leaves. Make black spiders with small balls and thin strips for legs; add white dots for eyes if desired.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Dust tops lightly with crushed chocolate cookies or graham crackers to mimic dirt. Arrange fondant pumpkins, vines, and spiders on frosting to complete pumpkin patch look.
Notes
- Ensure butter is at room temperature before creaming for smooth batter.
- Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter evenly in muffin tins.
- If pumpkin filling is too thin, cook longer to thicken.
- Be gentle when hollowing cupcakes to prevent cracking.
- If frosting is too stiff, add extra milk or cream to achieve spreadable texture.
- Keep fondant covered when not in use to prevent drying; knead with shortening if stiff.
- For a more realistic dirt effect, use dark chocolate cookies or mix with cocoa powder.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
