I know I’ve posted pumpkin cupcakes before, but when I saw a recipe for pumpkin brown butter cupcakes I knew I had to try it. If you haven’t tried brown butter yet, these cupcakes would be the perfect time to start. The brown butter and pumpkin combination is delicious – almost like pumpkin and caramel. Yum! =) Instead of frosting my pumpkin brown butter cupcakes with regular cream cheese frosting (which is certainly delicious), I decided to mix in some brown butter with my cream cheese – so good! They were a nice twist on the traditional pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and Jordan didn’t bring any home so I’m pretty sure they were a hit with his co-workers too! Enjoy!
Unfortunately, I don’t have a super cool Halloween recipe to share with you so instead I’ll share a picture of Jordan and I at a Halloween party over the weekend. We were a witch doctor and a voodoo priestess…and all the little kids were scared of us! =)
Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1. To make the brown butter pumpkin cupcakes: preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, and brown butter. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling using a #20 scoop (3 tbsp). Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before removing cupcakes. Makes about 20 cupcakes.
*from Martha Stewart cupcakes
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup browned butter
8 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp heavy cream
1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind. Place in refrigerator until butter cools and solidifies again.
2. Combine butter and cream cheese in bowl of stand mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about a minute. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until combined.
3. Add vanilla and heavy cream and beat about a minute more. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
