Yes, you read it right … pumpkin baking season has just started in my kitchen and I thought that a great way to say “bye for now” to Summer and welcome Fall baking is with these delicious cupcakes.
These cupcakes have a graham cracker base, a light pumpkin spice cake (not heavy on spices) filled with chocolate ganache and topped with homemade marshmallow frosting that I toasted with a kitchen torch.
If you haven’t decided if you are ready for Fall yet, make these mini cakes, they are absolutely fabulous.
Video of how I made these cupcakes are on my Instagram highlights @Pastry_Tales
Let’s start with the recipe.
Yield 1 dozen regular size cupcakes. You can double all the ingredients if you want a bigger batch.
Ingredients
For the graham cracker base
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the pumpkin cupcakes
1 and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
(If you don’t have pumpkin spice, make your own: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground ginger, and just use 3/4 teaspoon of this mixture, you can save the rest)
7.5 oz. of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling). This would be the half of an 15 oz. can
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 vegetable oil
2 large eggs at room temperature
For the chocolate ganache
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I used regular chocolate chips)
4 ounces (1/2 cup) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
pinch of fine salt
For the homemade marshmallow frosting
4 egg whites at room temperature (very important that your whites are at room temperature and be sure that no water touches them)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (you find this item in the same aisle that you get the spices at the supermarket
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
For the graham cracker base
1.- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.
2.-In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with your hands or a fork. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
3.-Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down.
4.-Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pan cool.
For the pumpkin cupcakes
1.- Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.- In a bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin spice. Mix with a fork and set aside.
3.- In another bowl and using an electric mixer, mix: pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated. Please, do not overmix.
4.-Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes until the cupcakes are a bit golden brown on the top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool completely.
Remember that each oven works different, keep an eye on your cupcakes after 16-18 minutes being baked and decide if they need a couple of more minutes to be baked.
For the chocolate ganache
1.- Add your chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Set aside.
2.- Heat your cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until you see it’s simmering. Turn off the heat and pour this hot cream on the top of the chocolate. Add butter and salt. Using a spatula mix really well until you don’t see any leftover chocolate chunks left and looks shiny and smooth.
3.- Let it cool and then cover with plastic wrap. Place it into the fridge for 1 hour. This will help the ganache to thicken faster.
4.- When your ganache has chilled. Take it out from the fridge. Cut the centers off your cupcakes. Use a pairing knife to do it : insert a small paring knife, at an angle, about half way down into the cupcake.
5.- Fill your cupcake with chocolate ganache, using a teaspoon or a pastry bag, until the filling is almost to the top of the hollowed out section. Fill them with a good amount of ganache.
6.- Cover the top of the hole with the piece that you took off, but trim it some so it fits better.
For the marshmallow frosting
1.- Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl set over a pan of a few inches of simmering water. Please, be sure that your egg whites bowl do not touch the water.
2.- Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer.
3.-Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. Using a pastry bag, frost the cupcakes (I used Ateco 828 tip) https://www.amazon.com/Ateco-828-Opening-Diameter-Stainless/dp/B00UJ6963C
4.- If you have a kitchen torch, use it to create the toasted effect but do not burn the frosting. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can use the broil option of your oven, but be VERY careful because they can get dark super fast. If you want to buy a kitchen torch, this is the one I have : https://www.amazon.com/BonJour-Chefs-Professional-Culinary-Br%C3%BBl%C3%A9e/dp/B001DITG5S
Keep your cupcakes in an airtight container, do not refrigerate. They are good for up to 3 days.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe, let me know.