VanFoodies.com

Thanksgiving is not something we traditionally celebrate at home, but we do appreciate the extra day of holiday. However, from time to time we would do something to celebrate this occasion. For example, this year we’ve made some pumpkin spice cupcakes and I want to share the recipe here with you.

This recipe is adapted from a magazine with a few tweaks by us. Instead of using the regular orange pumpkin, we used Kabocha (aka Japanese pumpkin) because of its silkier texture and sweeter taste. Then we topped it with a maple & bacon icing to go with the sweet & savoury trend.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Cupcake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup Kabocha pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup melted then cooled butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with cupcake cups.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk eggs with brown sugar, pumpkin puree, butter and vanilla in a large bowl.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture from #2 into the egg mixture from #3 until evenly mixed. The batter should be thick.
5. Spoon batter into muffin pan. Bake on centre rack for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into centre of a cupcake and comes out clean. The cupcake should look a bit lumpy in texture.

Mmm cupcake!

Maple & Bacon Icing

Ingredients

• 125g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 strips of bacon, cooked till crispy, finely chopped. Save some for garnish.

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese with icing sugar, butter and maple syrup until evenly mixed and smooth.
2. Stir in chopped bacon
3. Refrigerate icing until firm, for about 30 minutes
4. Put icing over cooled cupcakes. Garnish with more chopped bacon.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Gobble gobble!

Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple & Bacon Icing