PUMPKIN CUPCAKES WITH CASHEW CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Course
Dessert
Keyword
cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, muffins
Total Time1hour30minutes
Servings12cupcakes
Ingredients
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
2cupswhole grain spelt flour
1tspbaking soda
4tspground cinnamon
1tspground ginger
1tspallspice
1tspground cloves
1/2tspground nutmeg
4eggs
2/3cupssugar
1/2cupsunflower oil
2cupspumpkin puree
2TBSPlemon juice
pinchof salt
FROSTING
2cupspre-soaked cashewsat least 5 hours
juice of 2 lemons
1/2tspsalt
6TBSPhoney
1-2TBSPwater
TOPPINGS
pumpkin seeds
lemon zest
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg using a whisk.
In the bowl of the electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, blend together the egg yolks, sugar and sunflower oil on medium speed until well combined.
Add pumpkin puree and lemon juice and blend again.
Keep your mixer on medium speed and slowly add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture.
In a separate bowl (using a clean whisk attachment or a hand mixer) whip egg whites and a pinch of salt until it is stiff.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until well combined.
Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 - 25 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in the baking pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, take cashews, lemon juice, salt, and honey and blend in a blender until it has a smooth cream-like texture. If necessary add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
When the cupcakes have cooled completely frost them with the cashew cream cheese frosting and top with pumpkin seeds and lemon zest.
Notes
The smoothness of the frosting will actually depend on the quality of the blender you have. My blender is not top quality, so it's quite difficult getting a perfectly smooth frosting