Browned Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pecan Pumpkin Butter filling and topped with Chai Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Today is our good friend's annual Halloween party and it was requested by one of the guests that I bring cupcakes. Hmm, twist my arm! My only hesitation is now I have added pressure to make really good cupcakes! So, when choosing the perfect cupcake- do I make  some that I've made before and know that are big hits or should I dare to try a new recipe? I quickly asked what cupcakes the requester had in mind and the dreaded "anything" was replied. Not much help there. She did mention that she "loves anything chai" though. Chai? I've never made cupcakes with Chai as a main note. 

Challenge accepted. But what to pair it with? Hmm how about pumpkin? I didn't want to have just any pumpkin cupcakes, so I found a recipe for Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes by Young Idealistic Baker and modified it for high altitude. The increased flour, decreased sugar, and substitution of  brown sugar and cream created a nutty, pumpkin-y dense cupcake.  

Any cupcake is better with a filling-so to pair with the nutty flavor of the brown butter pumpkin, I decided to add some Pecan Pumpkin Butter in the middle. I could just eat this pumpkin butter by the spoonfuls! Yum! Its available seasonally at Williams-Sonoma.

To maximize the Chai punch, I added Chai seasonings to the Cinnamon Best Frosting I've Ever Ate. This buttercream is packed with Chai taste and rounds out the cupcakes nicely. Perfect for a Chai/Halloween theme- I present Browned Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pecan Pumpkin Butter and topped with Chai Vanilla Bean Buttercream. I pray they are as yummy as they sound!

Did I mention it was a Halloween party? I couldn't resist mimicking Martha Stewart's Broken Glass Cupcakes! The only modification I made was instead of using cherry pie filling for the blood, I added red food coloring to honey so it would compliment the Chai frosting.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes
adapted from Young Idealistic Baker
preheat oven to 350 degrees

3/4 cup unsalted butter
12.5 ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 can of pumpkin puree (15 ounces)
1 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup cream or milk

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook it, swirling occasionally, until it’s golden brown with a nutty aroma (about 5 minutes)
2. Remove browned butter from heat and pour it into a bowl to cool for about 15 minutes
3. Whisk or sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves in a small bowl 
4. In a separate, large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and cooled browned butter until well combined
5. Use a spatula to stir in the dry ingredients until just combined

Fill liners to about 3/4 full. Makes about 26 cupcakes. Bake for 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Pecan Pumpkin Butter

1 jar of pecan pumpkin butter

1. Core cupcakes and fill with small amount of pecan pumpkin butter

Chai Vanilla Bean Frosting
• adapted from Best Vanilla Frosting I've Ever Had 
• 
  
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 
• salt to taste

1. In a small saucepan, whisk flour into cream and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. About 8 minutes. Do not burn or boil. 
2. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in vanillas, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. This mixture must be completely cooled in order for the frosting to work. 
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled cream mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
4. Add salt to taste.

Pipe onto cupcakes.

Broken Glass

adapted from Broken Glass Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water

4 tbsp honey

red food coloring

1. Bring granulated sugar and water to a boil in a small high-sided saucepan, stirring, until sugar dissolves. 
2. Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until mixture just starts to turn pale gold around edges. 
3. Remove from heat, and immediately pour onto a rimmed baking sheet. 
4. Let cool to harden. Break into shards.
5. Mix honey and red food coloring in small bowl.

Add a small amount of honey to frosted cupcake. Dip sugar glass shard in honey and place on frosted cupcake.