Pumpkin Cupcakes

Here is the pumpkin cupcake with dulce de leche filling and buttercream recipe I used. I got the recipe from Occasional Sugar, and she got it from The Sweetest Kitchen, who adapted it from Martha Stewart, Recipe Girl, and Joy the Baker. Whew!

Here are mine, they turned out great! Try this recipe!

Step 1) Make the Dulce De Leche

Adapted from Recipe Girl

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

boiling water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Open up the can and pour the sweetened-condensed milk into a pie pan. Cover tightly with foil and place into a larger pan (a 9" x 13" baking dish or a roasting pan) Pour boiling water in larger pan & around pie plate (level of water should be about halfway up the pie plate). Don’t let any water seep up and into the pie plate.

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour. At the one hour point, peel off foil and check for progress. If the mixture has thickened and turned a caramelly color, it’s done. If it doesn't quite look thick enough or dark enough, cover it up and bake it a little longer (mine took 75 minutes).

While the mixture is baking, make the batter for the cupcakes (see below)

When the mixture appears to have turned into a nice, thick caramel, remove from the oven. Let sit for a few minutes, and then beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Cool the oven to 350 degrees for the cupcakes.

Step 2) Bake the Pumpkin Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp allspice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

7.5 ounces pureed pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. 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 needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Step 3) Mix the Dulce De Leche Buttercream

Adapted from Joy The Baker

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons prepared dulce de leche

Cream together softened butter and powdered sugar on low using an electric mixer. Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth and no lumps appear. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the prepared dulce de leche and beat to incorporate.

Step 4) Fill and Frost Cupcakes

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, use the cone method
to fill each cupcake with a dollop of dulce de leche. Frost with dulce de leche buttercream.