Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 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
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 113 grams
- 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
Dulce de Leche
- 1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk 396 grams
Pumpkin Dulce de Leche Russian Buttercream
- 2 cups butter 452 grams
- 1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk 396 grams
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree 75 grams
- 1/3 cup dulce de leche 90 grams
Instructions
Pumpkin Cupcakes
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Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
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Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
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Start by sifting the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Set aside.
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In another bowl, add the vegetable oil and the eggs. Whisk them together for about 60 seconds.
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Add the sugars and whisk until mixture is incorporated.
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Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until incorporated.
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Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until just incorporated.
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Divide the batter between the 12 cupcake tins.
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Bake for 12-15 minutes. When you touch the top of a cupcake lightly with your finger, it should spring back.
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Let the cupcakes cool down before filling and frosting.
Dulce de Leche
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There are several ways to make Dulce de Leche, I will show you how to make it in the oven.
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Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Open the condensed milk can and pour the milk in an oven proof pan and cover with foil. Place this pan in a larger pan, and fill the larger pan with water to form a water bath. Bake for about 3 hours. Baking time will vary depending on how much condensed milk you are baking at a time. As you bake, stir every 45 minutes or so, making sure the water from the bottom pan isn’t evaporating. If it evaporates, replace with more water so the dulce de leche doesn’t scorch on the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven when the dulce de leche is thick, the color is a deep caramel shade. The dulce de leche will get even thicker as it cools down once you let it rest in the fridge for a few hours before using it.
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If the dulce de leche is too lumpy, I recommend letting it come to room temperature after baking it, and then placing it in a food processor or blender, and processing it until it becomes smooth, otherwise the frosting will turn out lumpy.
Pumpkin Dulce de Leche Russian Buttercream
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Before starting, make sure the butter is at the appropriate consistency, which should be at room temperature. The butter should have a nice shape, not be too soft, but not cold either. It’s ideal if the butter is from 68 to 72ºF.
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Cream the butter with an electric mixer, at medium-high speed, for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer off, add the condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and dulce de leche. Cream with the mixer on medium speed for 1 minute until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and cream for another 2 to 4 minutes. You should continue to cream until smooth, thick, and creamy. Sometimes that takes a while, specially depending on the temperature of the butter. Just make sure to beat the mixture with the electric mixer until the frosting has a very thick consistency.
To assemble
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Use a knife or a spoon to remove the center of each cupcake.
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Place the cooled down dulce de leche in a piping bag.
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Pipe some dulce de leche in the center of each cupcake until it reaches the top.
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Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with the tip of your choice.
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Pipe a ring of frosting around the edges of the cupcake, leaving a hole in the middle.
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Fill the middle with more dulce de leche.
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You can decorate the top with little pumpkin candies like I did.
Storage
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Store the cupcakes in the fridge for up to 4 days, covered.
Recipe Notes
Dulce de Leche: You can find more ways of making Dulce de Leche here. Or you can use store-bought. You will need about 1 1/3 cups of dulce de leche for the whole recipe.
Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin filling. Pumpkin puree is made of 100% pumpkin.
Russian Buttercream: If the buttercream is too runny and soupy and not coming together, place the bowl in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes and then try whipping it again. It could be due to the butter being too warm, which is why it's important to take the temperature of the butter before starting.
Recipe Time: The time accounted above is considering the dulce de leche is already made. You should make the dulce de leche a day before starting this recipe, if going the homemade route.