Creme Brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes

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Fall is the season of cozy flavors, and what better way to celebrate than with Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes? These delicious cupcake treats combine the creamy, caramelized topping of a classic crème brûlée with the rich, spiced flavor of pumpkin cupcakes. It’s the perfect marriage of two iconic desserts, creating a unique and festive sweet that’s ideal for autumn gatherings, Halloween parties, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of tea.

Why You’ll Love These crème brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes:

These cupcakes are everything you love about fall, wrapped up in one perfect bite. The soft, moist pumpkin cupcake base is filled with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, while the brûléed sugar top adds a delightful crunch. Topped with soft and creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are the perfect little indulgent fall afternoon treat!

Perfect for Fall Entertaining or Cozy Nights In:

Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party, a Thanksgiving dinner, or just want a little something sweet for a cozy night in, these Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes are sure to impress. With their show-stopping piped buttercream tops, brûléed sugar dust, and irresistible fall flavors, they’re bound to be the highlight of any dessert table.

Gathering Ingredients:

• Flour. All-purpose flour works best for this recipe as the cake is very soft and moist on its own!

• Sugar.

• Leaveners. You will need both baking powder and baking soda.

• Salt.

• Spices. You will need pumpkin pie spice and a little extra kick of ground ginger.

• Butter. Make sure that your butter is at room temperature, or around 62° F (16° C).

• Eggs. Bring your eggs to room temperature, too!

• Oil. Any neutral oil for baking can be used such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, or avocado oil.

• Pumpkin Puree. Make sure that you use 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as this has added sugar and other ingredients that you do not need in this recipe.

• Buttermilk. Bring your buttermilk to room temperature.

• Vanilla. For the frosting, you will need vanilla bean paste or 1 whole vanilla bean.

How to Make crème brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes:

Step One: In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger.

Step Two: Next, add the butter pieces. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat in the butter until the mixture becomes sandy looking, with the butter forming small clumps, about 5 minutes. Next, add the eggs and beat another 2 minutes or until the butter is no longer in large clumps.

Step Three: To the bowl, add the oil, pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix the batter together until the ingredients are no longer separated, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in any separated ingredients.

Step Four: Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool fully on a wire cooling rack before decorating.

How to Make the Caramelized Sugar Topping:

Step One: In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently with a spatula to dissolve the sugar.

Step Two: Continue to boil until the sugar begins to turn a dark amber color or reaches 290° F (143° C), the hard crack stage. Use a candy thermometer to make sure that you do not over cook the sugar, or it will taste burnt.

Step Three: Immediately remove the pot from heat and pour the caramelized sugar onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave the sugar to spread on its own; if you try to spread it, it will form threads of sugar.

Step Four: Leave the sugar to cool for about 30 minutes or until fully hardened. Then, with a wooden mallet, gently begin to smash the sugar until it forms shards of sugar or brown sugar dust. The size is really up to you and what you want to decorate with! Be cautious as the sugar is sharp and can cut you!

Tips for Making the Perfect crème brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes:

• Weigh Your Ingredients. To ensure that the cupcakes turn out as best as they can, try using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients. This will help immensely from baking cupcakes that are too moist or too dense, or whipping up buttercream that is too stiff!

• Reverse Creaming the Batter. This batter is reverse creamed, which creates a slightly denser cake - which is perfect for this super moist batter! You will want to make sure that your butter is softened before mixing the batter or else the reverse creaming process will be harder to accomplish. Beat in the butter to the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like fine sand.

• Spice it Up: For an extra layer of fall flavor, consider adding a pinch more of ginger or cardamom to the cupcake batter. These spices complement the pumpkin perfectly and enhance the warmth of the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Serving Suggestions:

For a stunning presentation, top each Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Cupcake with a cinnamon stick. Serve them on a fall-themed platter or in decorative cupcake liners for an extra festive touch. Pair them with a warm drink, like a pumpkin spice latte or a chai tea, for the ultimate fall dessert experience.

Final Thoughts:

These Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes bring together the best of two worlds: the classic, creamy allure of vanilla flavored crème brûlée and the rich, spiced warmth of pumpkin. They’re a sophisticated yet fun dessert that’s perfect for any autumn occasion, whether you’re hosting a party or simply indulging in a sweet treat at home. With their caramelized sugar topping and tender pumpkin base, these cupcakes will quickly become a favorite fall dessert in your kitchen. Enjoy!

xoxo Kayla

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Yield: 12

Author: Kayla Lobermeier

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Creme Brûlée Pumpkin Cupcakes

These indulgent fall treats combine the creamy, caramelized topping of a classic crème brûlée with the rich, spiced flavor of pumpkin cupcakes

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 45 M

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cupcakes:

• 1 2/3 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 cup (87 g) salted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 8 oz (226 g) pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (116 g) salted butter, softened to 62° F (16° C)
• 4 cups (460 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or 1 vanilla bean scraped
• 2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) heavy cream
• Pinch of flaky sea salt, optional
• Orange gel food coloring, optional

Caramelized Sugar Topping:

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• Cinnamon sticks, for decorating, optional

Instructions

To make the Pumpkin Cupcakes:

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F (177° C). Fill a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and set this aside. You can choose to lightly coat your cupcake liners with cooking spray, if you wish.
2. In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ginger.
3. Next, add the butter pieces. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat in the butter until the mixture becomes sandy looking, with the butter forming small clumps, about 5 minutes. Next, add the eggs and beat another 2 minutes or until the butter is no longer in large clumps.
4. To the bowl, add the oil, pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix the batter together until the ingredients are no longer separated, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in any separated ingredients.
5. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool fully on a wire cooling rack before decorating.

To make the Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:

1. In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter until it has become light in color and it has increased its volume by nearly half, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, heavy cream, and salt. Beat the ingredients together for about 6 to 8 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. The buttercream is finished when its volume has increased and is similar to the texture of shaving cream. It should be super soft and pipeable, spreading easily without much force. At this point, add any food coloring if desired.
3. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag with a large round tip and keep it at room temperature (ideally 70° F) until ready to decorate.
4. You can store the buttercream for about 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before piping.

To make the Caramelized Sugar Topping:

1. To make the Caramelized Sugar Topping, begin by lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently with a spatula to dissolve the sugar.
3. Continue to boil until the sugar begins to turn a dark amber color or reaches 290° F (143° C), the hard crack stage. Use a candy thermometer to make sure that you do not over cook the sugar, or it will taste burnt.
4. Immediately remove the pot from heat and pour the caramelized sugar onto the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave the sugar to spread on its own; if you try to spread it, it will form threads of sugar.
5. Leave the sugar to cool for about 30 minutes or until fully hardened. Then, with a wooden mallet, gently begin to smash the sugar until it forms shards of sugar or brown sugar dust. The size is really up to you and what you want to decorate with! Be cautious as the sugar is sharp and can cut you!
6. This sugar can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.

To assemble the cupcakes:

1. When the cupcakes have fully cooled, you can decorate them. Pipe the buttercream frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes in a big swirl. Sprinkle the frosting with the shards and dust from the Caramelized Sugar Topping. Stick half of a cinnamon stick into the top of each cupcake for decoration.
2. Serve the cupcakes at room temperature.
3. To store the cupcakes, place them into an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days and bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

571

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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