Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes (How to Make)

Cupcakes in black liners with pumpkins toppers, on a brown cake stand.

5 from 1 vote

Jack-O-Lantern Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes (How to Make)

These easy Jack-O-Lantern Halloween pumpkin cupcakes are deliciously flavored with pumpkin and caramel and decorated with pumpkin buttercream and cute handmade fondant pumpkins. Try them!

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Decorating time1

Total Time1 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cupcakes

Calories: 51.6kcal

Author: Priya Maha

Equipment

Black edible marker (food grade)
Cake decorating brush
Pumpkin cutter (2.5 cm in length and width)
Piping tip #1M
Disposable piping bags

Ingredients

Cupcakes

200 g self raising flour
100 g butter (salted)
200 g granulated sugar
2 eggs
200 g pumpkin puree
100 ml milk
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Caramel Sauce

160 g white sugar
200 ml heavy cream
80 g butter (salted)
¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes

Pumpkin Buttercream

450 g powdered sugar
225 g butter (salted)
1 tablespoon pumpkin powder
2 tablespoon milk optional

Decoration:

60 g orange fondant
1 teaspoon cocoa powder

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the fondant pumpkin toppers

Knead the orange fondant until smooth and pliable. Dust your workspace with some cornstarch and roll the fondant thin to about ⅛th of an inch (see Note 1).
Cut out the pumpkin shapes using a pumpkin shaped cutter. Cut all the pumpkin toppers at once and include a few extras for contingency. Keep them covered in a covered container as you work on them to prevent the fondant from becoming dry.
Next, use a toothpick and draw out lines on the pumpkin.
Dip a dry brush lightly in cocoa powder and dust the pumpkins to add some depth along the lines and the sides.
Use a black food marker to draw the eyes and the mouth for the pumpkin toppers.
Paint the stalk with some green food coloring. Lightly moisten your brush when painting (but not too much) so that the color shows well on the pumpkins. Set them aside for the paint to dry and until they are ready to be assembled on the cupcakes.

Bake the cupcakes

Preheat oven to 175℃. Line your cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl and sift together.
In a separate bowl, combine butter and sugar. Cream both until light and fluffy (for 2 minutes on medium speed). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Add the eggs one at a time, and each time, beat until no traces of the egg are visible before adding the next one (see Note 2).
Incorporate the pumpkin puree into the batter and beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl. The batter may appear curdled at this stage.
Gently fold the dry ingredients (sifted flour mixture) into the creamed wet ingredients in two batches, alternating with the milk (see Note 3).
Scoop the batter into prepared cupcake liners until about three-quarters full (see Note 4). Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Prepare the salted caramel sauce

Measure sugar into a medium saucepan. Set the heat to low and stir occasionally to help the sugar melt consistently (see Note 5).
Once the sugar has fully melted, add the butter. Use a whisk to mix until the butter is thoroughly melted (see Note 6).
Gradually pour the cream in a thin, steady stream. Whisk continuously until the cream is fully incorporated.
Continue cooking over low heat until the sauce achieves a slightly thicker consistency. The sauce will further thicken as it cools (see Note 7). Sprinkle the salt and mix it well into the sauce.
Allow the caramel sauce to cool completely to room temperature before using.

Make the buttercream

Place butter in a large bowl and beat until it becomes smooth and creamy.
Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl, followed by the pumpkin powder. Mix lightly with a spatula before creaming the ingredients with a mixer (see Note 8). Start with low speed and gradually increase to medium speed until the sugar, pumpkin powder and butter are thoroughly combined, and turn smooth and creamy.
Add vanilla extract and continue to beat until it's well combined. If the buttercream appears too stiff, add the milk. Do it in small increments of half a tablespoon and beat well before adding more.

Assemble the cupcakes

Transfer caramel sauce and buttercream into piping bags. Use star tip #1M for the buttercream.
Core the cupcakes with a cupcake corer or the back of a large piping tip. Set the cored pieces aside as you will need them to cover the holes later.
Fill the cored holes with caramel sauce (see Note 9).
Cover the holes with the cored pieces earlier (only the top layer and not the whole cored piece of the cupcake).
Pipe pumpkin buttercream swirls on each cupcake.
Top with the fondant pumpkins. Press the toppers in lightly into the buttercream to hold them in place.

Notes

If tinting white fondant, wearing gloves when mixing the food coloring will keep your hands clean from the color marks.
Crack the eggs in a separate cup or bowl to prevent any accidental shell pieces from ending up in the batter.
Avoid overmixing the batter. If using a cake mixer, maintain a very low speed and mix only until the ingredients are well combined. Don't forget to scrape the bowl.
Using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop or cookie scoop is an efficient and tidy way to fill the liners with consistently sized batter.
As the sugar transitions to an amber hue, it has a tendency to burn quickly. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain control. Turn it off occasionally to better control the heat until all the sugar is melted.
The caramel may bubble vigorously upon adding the butter, which is completely normal. Maintain a low heat.
Use a candy thermometer to assist in monitoring the caramel. Cook until it reaches 105°C (or 220°F). At this temperature, the caramel will be of a drizzling consistency. Cook the caramel further if you wish for a thicker consistency.
Before using the mixer, lightly mix the ingredients with a spatula. This will moisten the sugar and prevent it from flying as you switch on the electric mixer.
Use a piping bag for a tidier filling of the cupcakes with caramel sauce.
Overbaking can result in dry cupcakes. Test a few minutes before the recommended baking time is up by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean without any wet batter, they're ready.
These cupcakes are baked in liners measuring approximately 5cm in diameter at the base and 3.5cm in height at the sides, yielding around 14 cupcakes. Adjust the baking time accordingly if using larger or smaller liners.
Keep the cupcakes covered with a kitchen towel when cooling to keep them moist. Store in an airtight container.
When making the caramel sauce, sugar has a tendency to burn very quickly as it caramelizes. This is particularly so when making in small batches. To better control the process, this recipe makes a slightly larger batch of sauce (sufficient for 2 batches of the cupcakes recipe) than is required. Use a light-colored saucepan when making the caramel to ensure a clear view of the sugar's color as it caramelizes.

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