creepy crawly pumpkin patch chocolate cupcakes
Beware the pumpkin patch. You never know what lies beneath the brambles...
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup black cocoa powder, or regular unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
- thyme or oregano sprigs, for pumpkin leaves
maple buttercream
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- orange and brown food dyes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in two 12-cup muffin tins.
- Beat the canola oil with the brown sugar until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, then mix in the yogurt and vanilla. Add the flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running, slowly stream in the hot coffee until just combined. The batter should be pourable, but not watery.
- Divide the batter into the prepared tins, filling 2/3 of the way to the top. You will likely get 16-18 cupcakes. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Cool 10 minutes in the tins, then move cupcakes to a wire rack. Cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, whip together the butter, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Add the powdered sugar and beat on high for 2-3 minutes, then stream in 4 tablespoons of heavy cream with the mixer running. Continue whipping until the frosting is fluffy and easily spread, about 3-4 minutes longer.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the frosting into a separate small bowl. Using food dye, color the bigger portion of frosting orange; color the smaller portion brown. You may need to mix colors, but dyes usually have directions on the back of the box.
- Fill a piping bag, or a gallon sized ziptop bag with a small segment of a corner snipped off, with the orange frosting. Pipe two half-moon strips of frosting on the outside edges of the cupcake. Pipe two more half-moon strips to fill the inside. Pipe a small swizzle of brown frosting at the top for the stem. Carefully place a thyme or oregano sprig by the stem for the leaves.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Notes
*To make ahead: Bake the cupcakes as directed. Cool completely, frost, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
*To freeze: Bake the cupcakes as directed. Cool completely, then cover the undecorated cupcakes and freeze for up to a month. When ready to decorate, thaw for 30-45 minutes on the counter. Decorate as directed.
*Black cocoa powder: King Arthur Flour sent me their black cocoa to try, and I highly recommend it!