Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cupcakes
Pillowy soft pumpkin cupcakes filled with luscious pecan pie filling and topped with silky smooth brown sugar Swiss meringue buttercream!
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.
Notes
*If you find that your SMB still looks curdled no matter how long you’ve beaten it, simply remove a couple of tablespoons of the curdled frosting and place it into a small microwaveable bowl. Heat it in the microwave until it’s completely melted, then add it back into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on, and beat everything until it’s smooth. If it still looks curdled, just keep repeating this reheating technique a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. If the buttercream looks soupy and runny, chill the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Take it out, then beat the mixture until smooth and satiny.