Baking Challenge #7: Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes

I thought that last week after I got back from Holland I would be able to start baking but then I came down with the flu. Blah! This puts me even more behind on my challenges, I better get crack'n!

This recipe is for all you pumpkin lovers! It's a simple recipe from the book Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunsky.

Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp 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 freshly grated nutmeg (can use ground nutmeg too)
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup toasted pecans coarsely chopped

Set oven to 350˚F.placing the chopped pecans on a cookie pan/sheet and baking them in the oven for about 7-10 min. At five minutes, stir the nuts around so that they can evenly toast. Check on your nuts after 7 min because they can easily burn if toasted for too long. Take them out of the oven to cool.

Line a standard cupcake/muffin pan with 12 liners.

Toast the pecans first. I do this by
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, sugar, oil and eggs. Add the flour mixture and whisk to combine completely. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Divide the batter into the prepared muffin cups and fill each about 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean, 22-24 minutes (my cupcakes only took 20 minutes to bake so I would check them around 18 minutes to see how they are doing). Allow them to cool after you take them out of the oven.

For the Glaze:

Maple Glaze

Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more as needed
1 tbsp whole milk (I used 1% milk and that worked just fine)
2 teaspoons maple extract (I used 2 tablespoons of maple syrup instead)

In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk and extract or syrup until smooth. The glaze should be spreadable. If it seems to thick, whisk in additional milk or syrup a few drops at a time. You don't won't your glaze to be too runny and run all down your cupcakes so if it seems too thin , whisk in additional sugar one teaspoon at a time.




















The cupcakes baked perfectly, incredibly moist and delicious!