Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes
These Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes are the ultimate Fall dessert recipe! The brown butter in the frosting and in the cupcake batter adds a deep nutty flavor to the cupcakes. Making the pumpkin caramel sauce for the top is optional but highly recommended as it takes the cupcakes to the next level.
Servings 12 cupcakes
Calories 200kcal
Ingredients
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter 141 grams
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 190 grams
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 grams
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree 170 grams
- 12 pumpkin spice oreos optional
Brown Butter Pumpkin Buttercream
- 1/2 cup brown butter 113 grams - instructions on how to make it below
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (113 grams)
- 4 cups powdered sugar 500 grams
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 75 grams
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 2 tbsp heavy cream 30 grams
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter 42 grams
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree 30 grams
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste
Instructions
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
- Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners. Place one oreo on each cupcake cavity.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the butter melts.
- Soon the butter should come to a gentle simmer, keep stirring frequently. The butter will begin to get golden and you will notice some brown speckles on the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter in a bowl. Let it cool down for about 10 minutes or so.
- Start by sifting the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to the cooled butter and whisk.
- Add the sugars and whisk until mixture is incorporated.
- Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until just incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake tins.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. When you touch the top of a cupcake lightly with your finger, it should spring back.
- Let the cupcakes cool down before filling and frosting.
Brown Butter Pumpkin Buttercream
- Start by making the brown butter. Place 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the butter melts. Soon the butter should come to a gentle simmer, keep stirring frequently.
- The butter will begin to get golden and you will notice some brown speckles on the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter in a bowl.
- Let it cool down completely, or place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. The butter should be solid and completely cooled down before using it to make the buttercream. If you let the butter cool down on the counter, place it in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes before using so it’s a bit solid.
- Add the softened butter to the cooled brown butter. Beat both butters for a minute until creamy and incorporated.
- Add the sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice to the bowl and beat for one minute until completely incorporated.
- If the frosting is too thick and dry at this point, add 2 tbsp of heavy cream or milk. Continue to beat for another two minutes over medium speed.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag.
Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
- Place the sugar in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom, over medium heat.
- Stir the sugar the whole time, while it melts. The sugar will begin to form a brown syrup, and you have to stir the whole entire time, to make sure it melts evenly. Otherwise, some parts of the sugar will burn, while others won’t get a chance to melt.
- As soon as the last bit of sugar melts, immediately lower the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream.
- It’s very important to not let the sugar cook too much or burn. If the sugar cooks too much at this point, the caramel will be hard once it cools down, or it will taste bitter.
- So as soon as you see no more bits of solid sugar, be quick and add the heavy cream.
- Be very careful when adding the heavy cream as it will bubble up and you don’t want to get burned.
- As soon as you add the heavy cream, some of the sugar will crystallize, and that’s ok. Continue to stir the heavy cream for 30 over medium-low heat.
- Add the butter and stir to combine.
- Once the butter has almost completely melted, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and salt to the pan.
- Stir to combine over the heat, for about 30 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and continue to stir until the pumpkin puree has fully incorporated with the sauce.
- Pour into a heat proof container and let it cool down completely.
- If there are bits of crystallized sugar in the sauce, pour the sauce through a strainer after you take it out of the oven. But if you follow all instructions right, that shouldn’t happen. Though I understand sometimes we get distracted and don’t stir enough, or forget to lower the heat. It happens. And that’s a good way of fixing it.
To assemble
- Place the frosting in a piping bag and pipe on top of the cooled cupcakes.
- Top with some of the caramel sauce and a halved oreo if desired.
Storage
- Store the cupcakes in the fridge for up to 4 days, let them come to room temperature before consuming.
Notes
Brown butter for the cupcakes: You can substitute the brown butter in the cupcake for vegetable oil if you don't wish to use brown butter. However, the amount will change, you will need 1/2 cup of vegetable oil instead of 10 tbsp of the indicated amount of butter, because when you cook the butter, some of it will evaporate. Also, you don't want to cook the butter to long, just enough to reduce it to about 1/2 cup. If you do reduce the butter to less than 1/2 cup, make sure to add more butter to compliment it. You could also add oil if you don't want to make more brown butter and wait for it to cool down.
Brown butter for the frosting: You can also use all regular butter, instead of brown butter in the frosting. Replace it with the same amount.
You will make brown butter for the cupcakes and also for the frosting, so you can go ahead and just make all the brown butter at once if you want to. And remove 1/2 cup to make the cupcakes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 200kcal