Saturday, November 8, 2008

Ode to Fall Cupcakes



Fall here in the south has been really beautiful this year. Some years we don't get much in the way of fall color but this fall has been perfect. The early cold snap has lit the trees with glorious colors. I love walking in our neighborhood to the sound of acorns crunching underfoot and all the lawns covered in a patchwork of fallen leaves. It's so pretty. I wish that the color would hang around longer, but it's nearly gone.
So here's my ode to fall in the form of a cupcake! The cupcakes are pumpkin with pecans and dried cranberries. Then I frosted them with a rich chocolate frosting and topped with some sugared cranberries.

Pumpkin Pecan Cranberry Cupcakes

source : Shelly Kaldunski adapted

makes 12 cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 lg eggs at room temp.
1/2 cup, pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Line standard 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners

In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, and eggs. Add the flour mixture and whisk to combine completely. Stir in the pecans and cranberries.

Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22-24 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool about 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before frosting.


CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter. Sift the cocoa powder together with the powdered sugar. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.




This is my submission to this month's Iron Cupcake Earth Challenge: Cranberries. Click here to see all the great prizes up for grabs! There's some really cool stuff this month!

13 comments:

How To Eat A Cupcake said...

Holy crap! These sound SO good! And the cranberries look so perfect. :D

My Sweet & Saucy said...

These are fantastic! I love the flavors!!!

Anonymous said...

I made these last night so that my husband could take them "up north" for the start of deer hunting. After eating several of them last night, he said that he needed me to make more so he had enough to take. So after making 3 more batches, there was apparently enough for him and the guys...

Katie said...

Gorgeous!

grace said...

first of all, sugared cranberries rock my world. that being said, they'd make the perfect topper to your glorious cupcakes. alas, fall is pretty much already kaput here in ny...

Anonymous said...

so pretty! you really did roll a bunch of fall ingredients into one delicious looking confection. nice job!

Sandie said...

I agree with Grace, the sugared cranberries put these cupcakes over the top!

Our beautiful fall colors came late here in Missouri (and they were short lived as well), but better late than never. Glad you're enjoying yours!

Anonymous said...

now that's some frosting!!! frosting is hands up the best part of a cupcake and i can already tell that yours is amazing. loves it!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

This is a fitting ode to autumn and all its bounty....loving the pumpkin recipes:D

Vera said...

Adorable cupcakes! The frosting is so creamy!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Ooh, you are lucky to have gotten some foliage. How I miss it. Maybe a cupcake would make me feel better. :)

Rosie said...

Oh WOW these really are fantastic!

Rosie x

sprinkles said...

These look great! Perfect for autumn. I have linked them in my Autumn wrap up at http://partycupcakeideas.com/25-fabulous-autumn-fall-cupcakes/