Fluffy pumpkin-spiced cupcakes filled with rich chocolate ganache and topped with an elegant crown of toasted marshmallow frosting!
There are few things in this world that you can never have enough of. The first is reality television shows (gotta love me soma’ dat petty rich housewife drama and teen mom madness), and the second is pumpkin-spiced foods.
Not to sound cocky or anything, but I was all about the pumpkin-spiced life BEFORE it became an annoying “basic” you-know-what trend. I mean, kids these days have no idea how lucky they are to live in a world filled with neverending pumpkin-flavored treats and eats. Back in my day, all we had was pumpkin pie and maybe pumpkin bread. Now we have pumpkin cereals, pumpkin M&Ms, pumpkin Oreos, pumpkin Twinkies…the possibilities are literally endless!
Speaking of possibilities, you know how obsessed I am when it comes to flavor mash-ups. If there’s a way for me to combine two of my loves, I’ll find it. As noted by the S’morelicious Recipe Round-up I posted a few weeks back, my love of s’mores should be blatantly obvious. So when I decided to combine two of my fall faves for this week’s recipe, I knew it would be a home run/touch down/goooaaaaaaaal in my baJillian book.
These Pumpkin S’more Cupcakes are just as divine as they look. The cake is perfectly moist and flavored with just the right amount of pumpkin. Of course, nothing amplifies the luscious flavor of pumpkin better than the classic pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
To incorporate the s’more aspect into these lovely little gems of pumpkin-spiced heaven, I first stuffed them with some rich dark chocolatey ganache. It’s a simple filling made by heating butter, heavy cream and chocolate together until smooth and silky.
Next, I whipped up some fluffy marshmallow frosting. While the classic campfire-roasted marshmallows will always have a place in my heart, it doesn’t quite compare to the creamy cloud-like fluffiness of freshly-made marshmallow frosting. It’s like biting into the softest, creamiest, gooiest marshmallow ever made. This marshmallow frosting is pretty much the same as the marshmallow fluff/cream found in the grocery store. However, it’s ten times fluffier and thicker, thus holding its shape WAY better than the store-bought stuff. Trust me, homemade is the ONLY way to go in this case!
To toast the marshmallow dollops, I used a small kitchen torch. I like the control it gives me as opposed to using the oven broiler. Plus, who DOESN’T get a high off of setting fire to things? (Pyromaniac much?)
Finally, for cuteness sake, I topped each toasted marshmallow cloud with a milk chocolate Hershey segment along with a graham cracker triangle.
This cupcake is by far one of my favorite cupcakes to date. It has every single wonderful texture all in one bite–the surprise chocolate ganache center, the deliciously moist pumpkin-spiced cupcake, and the unbelievably fluffy toasted marshmallow frosting!
Seriously, you need this cupcake in your life.
Pumpkin S'more Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 3 ¾ teaspoon lemon juice divided
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅔ cup canned pumpkin puree
Chocolate Ganache:
- 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chopped or chips
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
Marshmallow Frosting:
- 3 large egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For Topping:
- Hershey Chocolate Bars
- Graham Crackers
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- Place 2 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to the measuring cup to equal 3/4 cup; let sit for a few minutes.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt; set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together until combined. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix on high until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree and remaining 1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice.
- With mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour/scoop batter into cupcake liners, then bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs attached. Allow cupcakes to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Chocolate Ganache:
- Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Combine heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan, stirring over medium heat until mixture is smooth and just begins to simmer. Pour over the chocolate, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Remove wrap, and stir until smooth. Refrigerate until it reaches a thicker pudding-like consistency.
Make the Frosting:
- Add the egg whites and sugar to a large heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature hits 160ºF on a candy thermometer, about 3-5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan, add the cream of tartar, and beat mixture with an electric hand-mixer (or in a stand mixer) on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6-8 minutes. Add the vanilla near the very end.
To Assemble:
- Using a sharp knife, carve a hole into the center of each cupcake, about halfway deep. Remove cake piece and fill hole with chocolate ganache. Pipe/Spread frosting on top of the cupcake. Toast the frosting with a kitchen torch, then top with a Hershey bar segment and graham cracker piece.