Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

These chocolate pumpkin cupcakes topped with a gorgeous swirl of pumpkin cream cheese frosting are a fantastic fall treat. Full of autumnal tastes and flavors, these are a pumpkin lover's dream!

There is no fall season without pumpkins. Hundreds of varieties differ in size, color, taste, and texture, but I am obsessed with the orange ones.

My dream is to start a new tradition by growing pumpkins in our backyard.

But this is the scariest gardening project, according to my husband. He cannot imagine our yard full of flourishing these hardy crops.

Chocolate pumpkin cupcakes

If you have never baked a pumpkin dessert before, this recipe is to start from.

Why? Because you will make two recipes at the same time. And everything will turn out perfect.

At first, I was thinking of creating simple pumpkin cupcakes but ended up with chocolate cupcakes filled with a homemade pumpkin filling.

Plus, I topped them with the delicious pumpkin-scented cream cheese frosting.

So, the recipe for moist chocolate cupcakes filled with real pumpkin is the first and the main recipe I am sharing here.

The second recipe is about making a candied pumpkin that is used to decorate cupcakes and makes a great edible gift during the fall season.

Just do not forget to double or triple ingredients to make this sugared confection. You will love it!

Well, there is another delicious recipe here, which is for pumpkin cream cheese frosting.

Its formula is based on the recipe used to make the frosting for Apple and Olive Oil Cake. And this frosting is beyond delicious!

Chocolate pumpkin combination

There are plenty of delicious combinations such as chocolate and raspberry, peach and rosemary, pistachio and strawberry, and chocolate and pumpkin combo is another perfect match to make fall desserts.

From this easy-to-make-and-take Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake and marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins to festively-flavored Bittersweet Chocolate Pumpkin Tart and Chocolate Pumpkin Pie, you get covered with one of the best chocolate and pumpkin autumnal desserts.

Why you should try this recipe

1. These cupcakes full of pumpkin taste and flavor are the best fall treat. They are perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving.
2. Making candied pumpkin, cupcakes, and pumpkin filling in advance saves time on the day of serving.
3. Using this easy-to-follow chocolate cupcake batter recipe allows making plain or filled chocolate cupcakes of your choice.
4. Candied pumpkin makes an elegant sugared confection. Packed in an airtight jar, it becomes one of the best edible gifts.
5. These cupcakes are fun to decorate. Get the kids busy in the kitchen and let them pipe pumpkin cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results. 

Pumpkin: look for firm orange-skinned pumpkins labeled as “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins," although butternut squash works here as well. Read more about The Best Pumpkins for Baking and Cooking.

Sugar: use granulated or caster sugar for this recipe.

Orange zest: use organic, untreated orange, and zester grater to make the orange zest.

Flour: use all-purpose flour here.

Cacao powder: use natural unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutched cocoa. Read more about the difference between dutch-process and natural cocoa powder.

Baking powder: make sure to use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.

Icing sugar: either make it yourself using a coffee grinder or use store-bought powdered sugar.

Butter: use top-quality butter you can find. It is responsible for the taste of pumpkin cream cheese frosting.

Eggs: the recipe calls for one large whole egg and egg whites better measured with a kitchen scale.

Milk: use whole milk to make these cupcakes.

Salt: a pinch of salt harmonizes the taste and flavors of cupcakes.

Cream cheese: the best widely available Philadelphia cream cheese perfectly works for the recipe. If you are curious enough, please, read about what the best cream cheese brands are.

How to make chocolate pumpkin cupcakes

To make candied pumpkin, cut the pumpkin into 1-inch x 1-inch / 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm cubes.

Place pumpkin cubes, sugar, and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes (photo 1).

Drain pumpkin cubes with a colander for 30 minutes. Keep the pumpkin syrup for later.

Preheat oven to 175 F/80 C. Place pumpkin cubes on parchment paper (photo 2) and dry in the oven for 2 to 3 hours.

Let cool and roll pumpkin cubes, a few at a time, in granulated sugar. 

To make the pumpkin filling, cut the pumpkin into small cubes and cook with sugar and water over medium heat for 20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.

Drain the pumpkin with a colander (photo 3) and make the puree using a food processor (photo 4). Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 335degrees F/170 degrees C. To make the batter, sift flour, icing (powdered) sugar, cacao powder, salt, and baking powder and put aside (photo 5).

Beat softened butter with the dry ingredients using a stand mixer. Add eggs, egg whites, and mix. Gradually add warm milk, and mix to combine (photo 6).

Pour/spoon the batter into cupcake liners, filling up to ⅔ (photo 7). Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (photo 8).

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.

To make pumpkin cream cheese icing, place softened butter, sugar, and 85 ml pumpkin syrup (remained after making the sugared pumpkin) in a bowl.

Beat with an electric mixer till the mixture becomes creamy (photo 9).

Add cream cheese at room temperature and beat till the cream becomes smooth and homogeneous (photo 10).

To decorate cupcakes, remove the center of cupcakes with a cupcake corer and fill each cupcake with the pumpkin filling (photo 11).

Place pumpkin frosting in a pastry bag with the open star pastry tip (Wilton 1M) and pipe on top of cupcakes (photo 12).

Decorate each cupcake with a candied pumpkin cube.

Expert tips

1. Follow the tips of how to cut butternut squash via Fifteen Spatulas.
2. Make candied pumpkin in advance and keep in an airtight container. Instead of using the oven, let the pumpkin cubes dry on parchment paper for one to two days at room temperature. Then roll cubes in granulated or caster sugar.
3. Prepare pumpkin filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. 
4. Use canned pumpkin puree as a filling to decrease the sugar load.
5. Replace a homemade pumpkin syrup with a store-bought pumpkin spice syrup.
6. Decorate the top of cupcakes with pumpkin seeds instead of making candied pumpkin cubes if you are short on time.

Frequently asked questions

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.

The recipe was originally published on November 04, 2019. It has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.