Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramel

Pumpkin Cupcake with Caramel

It’s official today, it is fall in Hamburg, Germany! Did you know that fall is my favorite season? I feel there is so much to like, the leaves are turning color, I can finally get into my cozy cardigans and pullovers, sip some hot chocolate and enjoy being snuggled under a blanket with a good book to read. And the light! So soft, so golden, so nostalgic! Also, fall seems to have all my favorite ingredients: nuts of any kind, apples, pears, plums, and pumpkin. I usually prefer savory dishes with pumpkin, but since my hubby loves pumpkin pie (I don’t really), I thought, OK, why not try a pumpkin cupcake. Don’t ask me why I thought that would be the perfect combination. But it just popped into my head and I faithfully headed over to my favorite baking blog Sally’s baking addiction.  Sally produces one perfect recipe after the next, so I was not surprised that her pumpkin cupcake/muffin recipe was just as perfect as all the previous recipes I had tried from her site.

Pumpkin Cupcake with CaramelIt amazes me how she does that. I have said it before, but I will say it again, if you haven’t checked out her blog yet, you should. Especially if you are a baker.

Pumpkin Cupcake with CaramelAnyway, so as I was saying I made these pumpkin cupcakes and then thought, why not try pumpkin with caramel? Any why not add some meringue on top for extra craziness?

Pumpkin Cupcake with CaramelThe end result can be seen on the pictures. So as stated, this is Sally’s pumpkin cupcake recipe (only slightly altered) with salted caramel added to the center and meringue on top. Obviously the plain cupcake/muffin alone is already yummy, but I thought I would pimp it. Hubby approves.

Credit: Cupcakes from Sally’s baking addiction

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramel

Serves: 14 cupcakes
Cooking Time: 40min preparation + 18min of baking

Ingredients

  • Caramel
  • 200 grams of regular sugar
  • 90 grams of butter at room temperature
  • 120 milliliters of heavy cream
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon of sea salt

  • Cupcakes
  • 300 grams pumpkin puree (I used a small Hokkaido and needed half)
  • 220 grams of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • A pinch each of ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice
  • 100 grams of brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, size L
  • 120 milliliters of vegetable oil
  • 80 milliliters of milk
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, see here how to make your own

  • Meringue
  • 100 grams of regular sugar
  • 35 milliliters of water
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

1

For the caramel sauce put the sugar in a deep frying pan with no fat on medium heat and stir.

2

First the sugar will form lumps, then it will slowly change color and become liquid. It should get the color of amber. Then add the butter all at once and stir until the butter is melted. Add the heavy cream all at once, be careful, as the caramel will get bubbly due to temperature differences. Stir for another minute. Add salt and fill in a sterilized jar with a lid. Set aside.

3

For the cupcakes first cut the pumpkin in small pieces, add a bit of water and simmer for about ten minutes until tender. Puree, weigh right amount and set aside.

4

Line 14 muffin tins with paper liners and preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

5

Then toss all the dry ingredients from flour to allspice into a large bowl. Set aside.

6

In a smaller bowl whisk the sugar with the eggs, then add the rest of remaining ingredients including the pumpkin puree and whisk well until combined.

7

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until you see no flour lumps, do not overmix.

8

Pour into 14 muffin tins and bake for about 17-18 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean.

9

Make holes into cupcakes and fill with a teaspoon of caramel, put cut out dough back on.

10

For the meringue bring sugar and water to boil in a pot on the stove. Put a thermometer inside. If you don’t own a thermometer, boil for about 3 minutes.

11

Meanwhile start beating the egg whites with the salt in a grease-free bowl.

12

As soon as the thermometer shows 121 degrees Celsius, pour the mix slowly into the egg whites while beating on high.

13

Beat until the egg whites cool off and have tripled in volume.

14

Pipe onto cupcakes as desired and grill for a few minutes in oven, watch carefully. Drizzle with caramel.

Notes

The caramel can be made in advance. Obviously the cupcakes also taste great plain and are prepared very quickly.

I am also taking this to the link party Fiesta Friday.

So what is your favorite part of fall?

Pumpkin Cupcake with Caramel

Best,

Jenny

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8 Comments

  • Reply
    TurksWhoEat
    Friday October 6th, 2017 at 08:26 PM

    LOVE your additions to this recipe! Perfect Fall treat 🙂

    • Reply
      Jenny
      Friday October 6th, 2017 at 09:20 PM

      Thanks so much, that’s nice of you to say ?

  • Reply
    Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook
    Saturday October 7th, 2017 at 02:10 PM

    Wow! These look really good! I love that each has caramel filling and you used meringue for the frosting! I am not into buttercream a lot coz I find it too sweet for me. Thanks for sharing and happy Fiesta Friday!

    • Reply
      Jenny
      Saturday October 7th, 2017 at 02:15 PM

      Hi Jhuls, I don’t like American Buttercream either, way too sweet. Meringue is better 🙂

  • Reply
    zeba
    Sunday October 8th, 2017 at 04:00 PM

    These looks so amazing…from your pictures I can almost taste the caramel..yummm! The meringue is a nice touch. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.

    • Reply
      Jenny
      Sunday October 8th, 2017 at 04:02 PM

      Hi Zena, thanks for the sweet compliment!

  • Reply
    Mareike
    Wednesday November 1st, 2017 at 09:00 PM

    Liebe Jenny,
    was für eine tolle Kombi. Ich liebe Kürbis und Karamell & deine Muffins schauen einfach so unglaublich gut aus.

    Liebste Grüße,
    Mareike

    • Reply
      Jenny
      Wednesday November 1st, 2017 at 09:49 PM

      Danke Mareike, sie sind auch wirklich super lecker!

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