Pumpkin Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream Icing

5 from 2 votes

Lightly spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with a ghoulishly green avocado frosting! A great way to use up the stringy innards of carving pumpkins.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 264kcal

½ cup (150g) pumpkin puree (store bought or remove the seeds and puree the stringy innards of a pumpkin)
2 ¾ cups (350g) plain flour (all purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
⅓ cup ⅓ cup (80g) butter, softened
1 cup (200g) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (100ml) milk

Preheat oven to 170C/325F. Line a muffin tray with baking cases.
Puree either cooked pumpkin, the raw insides of a carving pumpkin (remove seeds) or use tinned pumpkin puree. Set aside.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda, salt and spices.
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time and them beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk into the wet mixture, in thirds.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cases ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Puree the avocado flesh with a hand held blender until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice.
Sift the icing sugar, a bit at a time and blend until thick. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Nutritional facts are a guideline only and will be affected by different brands used.