Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with toasted Pecans and topped with a creamy Chocolate Frosting.

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Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes

Is it too late for a pumpkin recipe? I think the pumpkin season is still here at least till Thanksgiving, isn’t it?. So now that I have convinced you (and myself) let’s talk about today’s recipe – Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.

First let me tell you about the amount of baking stuff I have in my kitchen. Wait, I can’t even tell that because there’s so much! It’s not even funny. Yesterday while trying to figure out and sort my baking closet I noticed that I have one last can of pumpkin puree remaining and I couldn’t possibly wait till next year to use it. Do you blame me? So as soon as I saw the can I knew I was going to make cupcakes. I adore baking cupcakes, for me they are easier to decorate than cakes and are cuter too. Don’t you agree?

Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

I love chocolate and I have grown to like pumpkin too. Honestly pumpkin isn’t really a thing is India. Pumpkin is also not a popular flavor back home so all the baking that I have done with pumpkin has been in the last 2 years. Before that I didn’t even know that we were supposed to bake with pumpkin, well as a matter of fact I didn’t even know how to cook then! Anyway these moist pumpkin cupcakes are high on flavor and also filled with some chopped toasted pecans. I love adding nuts to my cupcakes, gives them a nice texture. I think it’s always nice to bite into something crunchy in middle of a soft baked good. Just me?

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

I used all my favorite ingredients to make moist cupcakes – oil, buttermilk and brown sugar. You cannot go wrong with this trio provided you don’t overmix your batter. I think I have repeated this so many times on my blog but I’ll say again – never over-mix your cake/muffin/cupcake better. Overmixing will lead to more gluten formation and you will end up with a tough baked good. You have to mix the batter until just combined so always be gentle with the batter after you mix in the flour.

For the chocolate frosting I used simple butter, cocoa powder, confectioners sugar and heavy cream. Adding vanilla is optional, I did because I love it. I also added little cinnamon powder to the frosting, you can skip it but I loved the addition of little spice in the frosting too. I might be in minority but I do like using salted butter for my frostings, you can use unsalted butter in place.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

* You can use either heavy cream or milk in the frosting. I prefer cream because of the richness it gives to the frosting.

* The quantity of heavy cream can be adjusted in the frosting according to requirements. Add more cream for a spreading consistency.

* You can add more cocoa powder in the frosting for a more intense chocolate flavor.

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Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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Servings: 15 cupcakes
Pumpkin Cupcakes with toasted Pecans and topped with a creamy Chocolate Frosting.

Ingredients 

Pumpkin Cupcakes

  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 1.25 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1.25 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup granulated white sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree canned or fresh
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
  • cup buttermilk
  • cup toasted pecans coarsely chopped

Chocolate Frosting

  • ½ cup salted butter at room temperature
  • cup confectioners sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon powder
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Instructions 

  • Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners or spray it with a nonstick spray. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
  • Spray a baking sheet with oil and place pecans on it.
  • Toast the pecans at 350 F degrees for 6-7 minutes or till fragrant.
  • Take out of the oven and chop them coarsely. Set aside.
  • In a bowl whisk together all purpose flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
  • In the steel bowl of your stand mixer or using your hand mixer beat together vegetable oil and both the sugars till well combined.
  • Add eggs, vanilla extract and mix till well combined.
  • Now add the pumpkin puree and mix.
  • Start adding the flour mix and alternate with buttermilk. Add the flour in 3 parts and buttermilk in 2 parts starting and ending with flour.
  • Mix till just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Fold in the chopped toasted pecans.
  • Fill the cupcake liners till 2/3 full with the batter.
  • Bake at 350 F degrees for 17 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcakes comes out clean.
  • Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

  • Using steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer beat room temperature butter till smooth and creamy, around 3-4 minutes.
  • Now start adding confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat at slow speed at first and once the sugar mixes in a little, beat at high speed for 30 seconds.
  • Add vanilla, unsweetened cocoa powder and mix till well combined.
  • Add heavy cream and beat till frosting is nice and smooth.
  • Frost the cooled cupcakes using the chocolate frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 148mg, Potassium: 144mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 2140IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 1.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
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Hi, I’m Manali!

Bringing you easy, delicious vegetarian & vegan recipes! Eating veggies can be fun, you just need to get creative in the kitchen with the right set of ingredients!


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