Trick or treat!? Halloween is getting bigger and bigger here in Germany it seems. Haven’t decided yet if that is good or not ;P Well – no matter if you are a fan of Halloween or not – today I have a special treat for you: Halloween Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes! Happy Halloween!
I know – when it comes to Halloween people have very mixed feelings about it. Some love it, others think it is ridiculous. I am a bit undecided myself ;) When I was living in the U.S. in the last century, I had my first Halloween. I loved it. It was much fun, but that is probably because it is much bigger there than it is here in Germany. I still remember the time we went to Magic Kingdom at WDW (an amusement park in Florida) for Halloween. Every single spot in the park was decorated and even as an adult you were all out to go “trick or treat” and collect loads of sweets and chocolates ;)) It was sooooo much fun!
Guess I brought some of that Halloween spirit back to Germany… I am not a fan of costume parties, I don’t like horror movies, but baking some scary stuff for the “holiday” – love it! I mean who can resist baking with some blood and brains or cut off fingers?! ;P The last couple years I always baked something with blood – these cupcakes for example or these cookies here. This time it’s a bit more child friendly ;)
Andrea from Zimtkeks&Apfeltarte and myself are doing this little event each month called “Bake_together – Die Backüberraschung”[more infos here]. This time the topic is… guess… right… Halloween ;) We normally use one ingredient that is the same for both, so this month we have a “double challenge” cause also pumpkin had to be used in our bakes. No blood. Andrea wanted pumpkins. I will save some blood for next year ;)
So these “kids friendly” cupcakes are are made with a lot of chocolate, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Delicious! In fall many of my bakes get this little additional spice mix.
I am super excited what Andrea made this time. As far as I remember she is also a bit into Halloween… or her children? Well – she will come up with something great! When it comes to pumpkins she already made nice pumpkin donuts this week, so this one today has to be awesome! As soon as I have the link to her recipe, I will post it here.
And now Happy Halloween!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the chocolate batter:
1/3 cup (45g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
4 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup (70g) muscovado sugar
1 egg yolk (keep the egg white)
For the pumpkin spice batter:
1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg white
1/2 cup (130g) pumpkin purée
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup (70g) sugar
For the buttercream:
2/3 cup (150g) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (200g) confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1-3 tbsp. heavy cream
For the decoration:
black sprinkles
Für den Schokoladenteig:
45g Mehl (Type 405)
2 EL Kakao
1/4 TL Natron
Prise Salz
80ml Milch
1 TL Weißweinessig
4 TL Pflanzenöl
1/2 TL Vanille Extrakt
70g Mascobado Zucker
1 Eigelb (Eiweiß zur Seite stellen)
Für den Kürbisteig:
60g Mehl (Type 405)
1/2 TL Backpulver
1/4 TL Natron
1 TL Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 TL Salz
1 Eiweiß
130g Kürbispüree
3 EL Pflanzenöl
70g Zucker
Für die Buttercreme:
150g weiche Butter
200g Puderzucker
1/2 TL Vanille Extrakt
Prise Salz
1-3 EL Sahne
Für die Dekoration:
schwarze Zuckerperlen
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. For the chocolate batter mix the flour with cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Add the milk and vinegar to a larger bowl and mix, let sit for 5-8 minutes until the milk curdles. Add the oil, vanilla extract, muscovado sugar and the egg yolk to the bowl and mix until well combined. Keep the egg white.
3. For the pumpkin batter mix again dry ingredients in a small bowl – flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Set aside. Add the egg white you saved to a larger bowl and add the pumpkin purée, oil and and sugar – mix until well combined.
4. Now mix the dry ingredients of each batter with the wet ingredients. Add the flour-cocoa mixture to the first bowl and the flour-pumpkin-pie-spice-mixture to the second bowl (with the pumpkin purée) – mix each batter until well combined. Start with the chocolate batter and add about one tablespoon each to the paper liners, add some pumpkin batter on top and finish with some more chocolate batter – mix if you want to, but you already get nice layers like that. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Take out of the oven, let cool down a bit in the tin, then remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
5. For the buttercream add the butter to a large bowl and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix until well combined. Add the heavy cream gradually one tablespoon after another until the cream has the desired consistency. Fill into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes – decorate as you like.
2. Für den Schokoladenteig das Mehl mit dem Kakao, Natron und Salz in einer kleinen Schüssel vermischen. Die Milch mit dem Essig in einer größeren Schüssel vermischen und für 5-8 Minuten stehen lassen, bis die Milch andickt. Dann das Öl, Vanille Extrakt, Zucker und Eigelb zugeben und alles gut verrühren. Das Eiweß für später zur Seite stellen.
3. Für den Kürbisteig wieder die “trockenen” Zutaten in einer kleinen Schüssel zusammenmischen – Mehl, Backpulver, Natron, Pumpkin Pie Spice und Salz. Zur Seite stellen. Das zurückgehaltene Eiweiß zusammen mit dem Kürbispüree, Öl und Zucker in eine größere Schüssel geben und verrühren.
4. Die trockenen Zutaten jedes Teiges mit den jeweiligen feuchten Zutaten verrühren. Die Mehl-Kakao-Mischung mit dem Teig in der ersten Schüssel und die Mehlmischung mit dem Pumpkin Pie Spice mit dem Teig der zweiten Schüssel (mit dem Kürbispüree) jeweils gut verrühren. Vom Schokoladenteig jeweils etwa einen Eßlöffel in die Papierförmchen füllen und dann eine gute Portion vom Kürbisteig daraufgeben und mit einer weiteren Portion Schokoladenteig abschließen. Wer mag, kann die beiden Teige noch mit einem Löffel etwas vermischen. Für 18-20 Minuten im Ofen backen – mit einem Zahnstocher testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und erst herausnehmen, wenn der Zahnstocher sauber herauskommt. Aus dem Ofen nehmen, in der Form etwas abkühlen lassen und dann herausnehmen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
5. Für die Buttercreme die Butter in eine große Schüssel geben und auf höchster Stufe hell und luftig aufschlagen. Puderzucker, Vanille Extrakt und Salz zugeben und alles gut verrühren. Einen Eßlöffel der Sahne zugeben und etwas länger aufschlagen – je nachdem wie fest die Creme werden soll, noch etwas Sahne dazugeben. In einen Spritzbeutel füllen und die Cupcakes damit verzieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
PrintHalloween Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 90
- Yield: 9 1x
Ingredients
For the chocolate batter
- 1/3 cup (45g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1 tsp. white wine vinegar
- 4 tsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (70g) muscovado sugar
- 1 egg yolk (keep the egg white)
For the pumpkin spice batter
- 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup (130g) pumpkin purée
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (70g) sugar
For the buttercream
- 2/3 cup (150g) butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (200g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1–3 tbsp. heavy cream
For the decoration
- black sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
- For the chocolate batter mix the flour with cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Add the milk and vinegar to a larger bowl and mix, let sit for 5-8 minutes until the milk curdles. Add the oil, vanilla extract, muscovado sugar and the egg yolk to the bowl and mix until well combined. Keep the egg white.
- For the pumpkin batter mix again dry ingredients in a small bowl – flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Set aside. Add the egg white you saved to a larger bowl and add the pumpkin purée, oil and and sugar – mix until well combined.
- Now mix the dry ingredients of each batter with the wet ingredients. Add the flour-cocoa mixture to the first bowl and the flour-pumpkin-pie-spice-mixture to the second bowl (with the pumpkin purée) – mix each batter until well combined. Start with the chocolate batter and add about one tablespoon each to the paper liners, add some pumpkin batter on top and finish with some more chocolate batter – mix if you want to, but you already get nice layers like that. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Take out of the oven, let cool down a bit in the tin, then remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
- For the buttercream add the butter to a large bowl and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix until well combined. Add the heavy cream gradually one tablespoon after another until the cream has the desired consistency. Fill into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes – decorate as you like.
Notes
- Enjoy baking!