Pumpkin Caramel Cupcakes

This is sort of a two part post. The first today, and the second (apple maple cupcakes) tomorrow morning. They go hand in hand because they are both cupcakes, they are both versions of the same recipe, and they were both part of my Spooky Halloween Dessert Buffet earlier this week, and again on my little tv spot Tuesday.

But where these cupcakes have really starred, is in Pia’s lunchbox over the last few days ☺

These cupcakes are made with my very favorite pumpkin cake recipe baked into perfect little pumpkin cupcakes. I wanted a distinctly autumn butter cream, but wasn’t interested in any of my typical choices.

Perusing the fridge, my eye’s came across divine inspiration in the form of caramel sauce. Creamy, luscious, milky caramel sauce.

I whipped the caramel into my traditional butter cream for something super sweet and decadent, and it turned out to a be a wonderful compliment to the moist pumpkin cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes, makes 2 dozen
¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 ½ cups unsweetened pumpkin
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk

Caramel Buttercream Frosting
½ lb butter
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
3 Tbs thick caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 2 muffin pans with paper liners.

Pumpkin Cake:
1)In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.

2)Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat to combine.

3)Add the pumpkin and combine well. It will look like the batter has curdled, but it is fine!

4)In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices and sift them all together.

5)Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and then half of the buttermilk.

6)Combine completely and then add the rest of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix the batter until it is completely combined.

7)Scoop the batter into the liners and bake them for 22 minutes.

8)Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool on a rack completely.

Caramel Butter Cream:
1)Combine butter and milk and beat them together.

2)Add the powdered sugar gradually and mix until the butter, milk and powdered sugar take on a frosting texture.

3)Add the caramel and combine well.

4)Fill a pastry bag and pipe buttercream, (or spread with a butter knife) onto the top of your cooled cupcakes.

Enjoy!