Pumpkin spice cupcakes
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Pumpkin spice cupcakes
Grated pumpkin adds moisture and natural sweetness to these autumnal cupcakes. They’re flavoured with a “pumpkin spice” blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and finished with an easy mascarpone frosting
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Abigail Spooner
Abi is our Head of Food. She loves the precision and creativity of baking, turning fridge odds-and-ends into a weeknight pasta, and is always bookmarking new restaurants to try. She's happiest hosting friends around a table overflowing with food (and insisting everyone has seconds) or planning holidays around what to eat.
Ingredients
- 170g light brown soft sugar
- 200g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 medium eggs
- 150ml olive oil
- zest of 1 orange
- 200g coarsely grated pumpkin or butternut squash (prepared weight)
For the pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch ground cloves
For the frosting
- 190g mascarpone
- 150g icing sugar
Step by step
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Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases. Combine all the pumpkin spice ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Scoop a heaped ¼ teaspoon of the spice mix into a separate small bowl and set aside until ready to decorate.
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Add the sugar, flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt to the larger quantity of spice mix, then use a balloon whisk to combine. Whisk the eggs, oil and orange zest in a separate bowl or measuring jug. Pour over the dry ingredients and add the grated pumpkin (or butternut squash). Fold together with a large metal spoon or spatula until combined, then divide among the paper cases. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden, risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Put the mascarpone in a large mixing bowl and use an electric hand mixer to beat for 1 minute until smooth. Sift over the icing sugar, then beat for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Pipe or spoon over the cooled cupcakes, then use a fine mesh sieve to lightly dust over the reserved pumpkin spice. Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
