With Halloween just around the corner it seemed only fitting to dedicate this baking related post to pumpkins, so I have baked pumpkin cupcakes!
I would recommend using pumpkin puree rather than an actual pumpkin, like I did, as it is less time consuming. It also produces better results as the puree does not retain so much liquid. However, if you do decide to start from scratch, it means you have a pumpkin ready for some Halloween carving.
First scoop out all of the sloppy, stringy parts of the pumpkin. Then cut out all of the flesh and place in a pan. If you are not planning to use your pumpkin to carve, it is easier to cut it into quarters before scooping.
Pour water over the pumpkin flesh and boil for around fifteen minutes or until soft. Drain, using a colander, and then mash the mixture into a puree-like consistency. You may have to drain the pumpkin again later as they do let out quite a lot of excess liquid. As I said earlier I would definitely recommend using pumpkin puree as it also provides a more concentrated pumpkin taste.
Moving on from the pumpkin (a huge endeavour in itself) here is a list of the other ingredients that went into making the cupcakes:
- 280g Self – raising flour
- 200g caster sugar
- 110g unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of ginger
- 2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 100ml milk (I used semi-skimmed but full fat milk works just as well)
- 200g of pumpkin
I would also recommend using cinnamon and nutmeg too ( ½ teaspoon of each) as it makes the cupcakes much tastier!
Add the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl (or whatever bowl-like object you have lying around your kitchen – my friend usually opts for a large pan). Mix together with a wooden spoon until completely combined and smooth – as you can see in the photo above. Trust me – this is a lot easier to do if you leave your butter out of the fridge for about a half hour before trying to use it (as I have discovered, one broken spoon later…)
Once the butter and sugar is creamed, add in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix the mixture thoroughly.
Add the flour, ginger (cinnamon and nutmeg – if you are using them), vanilla extract and baking soda. Fold in the dry ingredients softly, ensuring that everything is combined.
As you can see below, the mixture will become really thick! Do not panic – this is supposed to happen! As the pumpkin and obviously the milk, are liquid, in order to get the right consistency for the cake batter you need to balance it out with a larger proportions of dry ingredients.
Add the pumpkin and milk to the mixture and whisk together. Although this picture (below) does not look that appetising, it does give you an idea of the consistency that you should aim to have at this stage.
Pour the mixture into twelve cake cases.
Bake the cakes for around twenty minutes – but that may differ depending on your oven. Mine has a tendency to flash-burn food.
Leave to cool on a wire rack and then go wild and decorate to your heart’s desire. I cheated and decided to go for shop-bought bright orange cream-cheese icing but feel free to make your own!
Happy Halloween!
All original images
By Hannah Conway