These cupcakes are moist and rich with vanilla flavor that is unlike anything else. This recipe is adapted from a Martha Stewart Classic, but with Rodelle’s spin on it.

 

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cupcakes

  • 1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup Rodelle Vanilla Sugar
  • 1 Rodelle Vanilla Bean, split and scraped
  • 2 large eggs
  • Optional: Replace 2 sticks of butter with cream cheese.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

  • 4 egg whites
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract (or 1 tsp Rodelle Vanilla Extract and 1 Rodelle Vanilla Bean, split and scraped)
  • 4 sticks (2 cups or 32 tbsp. or 16 oz.) unsalted butter, softened (room temp)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar plus more for consistency
Uses
Directions

Pumpkin Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
  3. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown.
  4. Skim foam from top, remove from heat, pour into bowl and let cool.
  5. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  6. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture
  7. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined
  8. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full
  9. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
  10. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes
  11. Frost with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

  1. Place egg whites, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl, whisk thoroughly.
  2. Place egg white mixture in a double boiler and heat water to a simmer on LOW to just warm the egg whites (the small amount of indirect warmth from the water underneath will help dissolve the sugar while NOT cooking the eggs).
  3. Heat until sugar is dissolved, about 3-5 minutes.
  4. Set egg white mixture aside and let cool.
  5. With the paddle attachment on an electric mixer, cream butter on medium until creamy.
  6. Slowly add the egg white mixture ½ cup at a time, scraping down sides as needed.
  7. Change to the whisk attachment and whisk for 2-3 minutes until creamy and well incorporated.
  8. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on medium and then high in between.
  9. Mix on high for 1-2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.
  10. If the frosting is too heavy, add additional powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time) until fluffy.

Photos and video taken by Kathryn Herndon at @kniftykat