Pillowy soft pumpkin cupcakes filled with luscious pecan pie filling and topped with silky smooth brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream!
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to holiday gatherings, I like to have a buffet of desserts on my plate. It’s nearly impossible for me to choose just ONE dessert. This is especially true on Thanksgiving when there are so many delicious pies to choose from!
And if you’re like me, you also enjoy combining different desserts into one heavenly bite. One of my all-time favorite bite combos is pumpkin pie and pecan pie. The flavors and textures of both pies blend so well together, it’s like pure ecstasy to the tastebuds.
So this got me to thinking…what if I transformed this exquisite pie combo into one heavenly cupcake?
Thanks to these delectable Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cupcakes, now you NEVER have to decide between two of your favorite pies. That’s because this scrumptious sweet contains a moist and ultra fluffy pumpkin cupcake along with the most divine pecan pie filling! It’s also crowned with the most luxuriously satiny brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream.
Honestly, you won’t find a more perfect cupcake to bake up for the holidays than this one right here. Every single bite is BEYOND blissful, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to become everyone’s favorite person at your next holiday get-together.
While there are three different components in making this cupcake, it’s really not that difficult–I promise! The first thing you’ll want to start with is the pecan pie filling since it requires at least an hour to cool down completely. All you have to do is put some eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, butter, and salt into a medium saucepan. Stir everything together over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened up.
Now it’s time to stir in the toasted pecans! I repeat, TOASTED pecans. Toasting the pecans not only enhances the flavor, but it also makes them extra crisp and crunchy, so don’t skip out on this crucial step. It’s also super simple! Just scatter the whole pecans evenly onto a baking sheet, and pop them into a preheated 350ºF oven. Bake until the pecans begin to brown and become aromatic, making sure to toss halfway through. This should take 7-10 minutes.
As the pecan pie filling cools, you can work on the cupcakes. Start by whisking the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together. Next, combine the wet ingredients by creaming the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla. If the batter looks lumpy at this point, don’t worry. Once the dry ingredients are added, it’ll smooth out.
After the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ingredients, the batter might seem rather thick, but this is totally normal. Just scoop it into the cupcake liners, about 2/3 full, and bake them in the oven for about 18-22 minutes. They should have nice domed tops and bounce back when you gently press on them.
Since these cupcakes are stuffed with a pecan pie filling, I decided to go with a lighter, less sweet buttercream. Swiss meringue buttercream (SMB, for short) is always my go-to when I need something that’s more subtle in sweetness. It’s also one of the silkiest buttercreams you will ever taste, and it pipes like a dream…
To continue with the autumnal theme of these cupcakes, I decided to dress them up with a brown sugar SMB. The maple sweetness complements the pumpkin cupcakes so well, and the brown sugar adds a depth of flavor to the buttercream that’s irresistible.
As far as assembling the cupcakes goes, you’ll start by carving out the center of the cupcake using a paring knife. I usually carve out a little cone shape piece, making sure not to carve all the way through to the bottom of the cupcake. Then you’ll fill the hole with some pecan pie filling.
Place your buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. I used my Wilton 1M tip. Pipe a “nest” of buttercream along the edges of the cupcake. Then fill the buttercream nest with some more pecan pie filling.
And there you have it! The BEST cupcake you’ll ever have. At least, according to my completely unbiased boyfriend…
Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
Pecan Pie Filling:
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup corn syrup
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Brown Sugar Buttercream:
- 5 egg whites
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Make the Filling:
- Place all the of the ingredients EXCEPT for the pecans into a medium saucepan. Heat on the stove over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly.
- Once the filling has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the pecans. Pour filling into a shallow bowl, of quicker cooling. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before chilling in the refrigerator to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together until combined; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until lightened and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla on medium speed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Batter will be thick.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Buttercream:
- Combine the egg whites, brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, and place the bowl over a simmering pot of water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until sugar is dissolved and the temperature registers 150-160°F on a candy thermometer, about 3 minutes.
- Secure whisk attachment onto stand mixer, and beat the egg white mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form. It should be fluffy and cooled to room temperature.
- Add the butter, one piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. If the mixture looks curdled, that’s totally normal–just keep beating until it becomes smooth and satiny.* Add the vanilla; beat until fully incorporated. Transfer buttercream to a piping bag, fitted with a star tip. I used Wilton's 1M tip.
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 1-2 teaspoons of the pecan pie filling. Pipe a "nest" of buttercream onto each cupcake. Fill the nests with more pecan pie filling.