The only way to make buttercream better is to make it with brown butter. Pair it with a rich, moist pumpkin cupcake, and you have the perfect fall treat. These pumpkin cupcakes with brown butter frosting cannot be missed!
Ingredients You'll Need for Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Puree: Your pumpkin is the star of the show. Make sure to get the plain puree and not pumpkin pie filling! The cans can be remarkably similar, especially in the Fall.
- Flour: This recipes uses all-purpose frosting rather than cake. The vegetable oil combined with the pumpkin results in a moist, soft cupcake. While you can substitute cake flour into this recipe, all purpose produces the slightly better cupcake.
- Sugar, Eggs, Oil, Baking Powder, and Baking Soda: Key ingredients to most cakes, the variations of the amount help to counter balance the extra fat and moisture from the pumpkin puree.
- Spices: This recipe incorporates cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Some additional, optional, spices include ginger and ground black pepper.
Ingredients You'll Need for Brown Butter Frosting
- Brown Butter: Brown butter has a rich, nutty flavor that perfectly compliments the flavor of the pumpkin cupcakes.
- Powdered Sugar: The major "binder" for this frosting, the powdered sugar helps hold together the frosting made soft from the brown butter.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream helps further stiffen the frosting, while adding a layer of rich, fatty flavor.
- Salt: Salt helps balance the sugar and bring out the flavor of the brown butter.
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting
- In a stand mixer, beat your butter and sugar until creamy. Approximately 5-7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, continue whipping until fluffy. Slowly add in pumpkin puree a scoop at a time until fully incorporated. Add oil. Fully combine.
- Slowly add dry ingredients into wet mixture a scoop at a time until fully combined.
- Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Fill ⅔ full. Bake for 28-35 minutes in a 350F, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- While cupcakes cool, add cubed butter into a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir until fully melted. Continue to stir as the butter begins to brown over the next 10-15 minutes. When it begins to smell nutty and takes on a toasted, golden color, remove from heat. Pour mixture into glass bowl to cool.
- When butter is completely cooled (but not fully re-hardened), pour into stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add in powdered sugar and turn to low speed, when sugar is fully saturated, turn to low-medium, and beat for about five minutes. It should begin to thicken as it progresses. Add in salt and whipping cream, beat an additional minute.
- Place frosting in a piping bag with a star tip, swirling a dollop of frosting on each cupcake. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Perfecting Your Cupcakes and Frosting
How Can I Make Buttercream with Liquid Brown Butter?
Everything you know about making American buttercream tells you that the butter will need to be soft but not melted. Brown butter frosting challenges all of these notions because it is still in a liquid state when added to this mixture. Yet, you get a creamy, pipe-able frosting that sets easily.
Can I Use Pre-Made Brown Butter?
Of course! There are a ton of options out there to buy your butter already browned. One of my personal favorites is by Black and Bolyard!
Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin Puree?
Of course! Just make sure it doesn't have too much water in it! Sometimes homemade puree can be a bit wetter than canned pumpkin puree. Since this recipe was developed using the canned stuff, just be aware going into it!
I love the sound of brown butter frosting, but I hate pumpkin!
I'd highly recommend trying it with our chocolate cupcakes! Or, with anything! This frosting is that good.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Butter Frosting
The only way to make buttercream better is to make it with brown butter. Pair it with a rich, moist pumpkin cupcake, and you have the perfect fall treat.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
Brown Butter Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a stand mixer, add eggs, beat until frothy. About 1 minute.
- Slowly add in pumpkin puree a scoop at a time until fully incorporated.
- Add oil. Fully combine.
- In a bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Slowly add into wet mixture a scoop at a time until fully combined.
- Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Fill ⅔ full. Bake for 28-35 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Brown Butter Frosting
- Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cube butter and place in pan. Stir until fully melted. Continue to stir as the butter begins to brown over the next 10-15 minutes. When it begins to smell nutty and takes on a toasted, golden color, remove from heat. Pour mixture into glass bowl to cool.
- When butter is completely cooled (but not fully re-hardened), pour into stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.
- Add in powdered sugar and turn to low speed, when sugar is fully saturated, turn to low-medium, and beat for about five minutes. It should begin to thicken as it progresses. Add in salt and whipping cream, beat an additional minute.
- Place frosting in a piping bag with a star tip, swirling a dollop of frosting on each cupcake. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!