Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cupcakes

Ahh, autumn. That time of year where we break out our cosiest jumpers and socks, start lighting fires and the days get shorter and darker. Above all else, it's the time of year we all start frantically searching for our hit of pumpkin spiced goodies.

Vegan food blogger Shannon Michelle has created this recipe for Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cupcakes, a wonderfully delightful seasonal treat. Warm autumnal spices and pureed pumpkin coupled with the almond, bergamot, and citrus tasting notes of our Organic Ethiopian coffee  is sure to cure those pumpkin spiced cravings.

Makes: 12  

Prep time: 15 mins  

Cook time: 25 mins 

You will need:

• 3/4 cup oat milk
• 3/4 cup vegan butter
• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 vegan eggs 
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 shots Organic Ethiopian espresso
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp nutmeg
• Small handful dark chocolate chips
• Handful chopped walnuts
  

For the buttercream:

• 1 cup vegan butter
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

Not vegan? No worries - you can easily swap the vegan ingredients in this recipe for real dairy products

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake cases.
2. In a small saucepan on low heat, combine the oat milk and vegan butter. Mix together and allow the butter to melt completely before removing from the heat and setting aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sieve the flour. Add the baking powder and caster sugar. Stir to combine. Throw in the vegan eggs and mix again.
4. Add the vegan butter and milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix everything together until the mixture is smooth and completely combined. 
5. Add the pumpkin puree, the 2 shots of CRU Kafe Organic Ethiopian espresso, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixture and stir again until combined.
6. Fold the chocolate chips and walnuts into the mixture.
7. Divide the mixture between the 12 cases.
8. Place the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. 
9. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. You can check that they are done by poking a skewer or toothpick through the middle of one of the cupcakes and if it comes out clean, they are done. If not, place them back in the oven for a further few minutes. 
10. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before icing.
11. You can make the icing by creaming the softened vegan butter with a hand mixer / stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar, mixing as you go until the icing reaches a thick and creamy consistency. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix again.
12. Add the icing to a piping bag and ice each cupcake from the outside in using a large star tip nozzle. Finally, top with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick for decoration.