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I've been playing again - this time with avocados! I'm kind of a nut about the color green. You may have already guessed that from the header on this blog. Not only are the walls of my kitchen painted a pretty shade of green, earlier this month, there were lovely green orbs from California scattered here, there and everywhere in this little North Carolina kitchen. We were having fun working on some recipe development and photography projects for the wonderful folks at the California Avocado Commission.
One of the ideas they asked us to work on was a recipe for pumpkin cupcakes, with healthy avocado replacing some of the butter traditionally used in cake recipes. I armed myself with canned pumpkin, sugar, eggs, flour and lots of warm autumn spices as I set to work.
It took a number of attempts to get it just right, but I do think we've come up with a winner. The cupcakes are moist, flavorful and topped with a luscious swirl of yummy caramel buttercream ........... which also has ............ yup, you guessed it, avocado! I really love the way icings with avocado swirl and twirl like a dream.
With Halloween this week and all sorts of holiday festivities coming up, it's the perfect time of the year to treat your family/friends to a delightful pumpkin dessert. I have a sneaking suspicion they'll be raving about and requesting this one again and again. It can be our little secret that these decadently delicious cupcakes are also decently healthy!
The recipe is also on the California Avocado Commission website. While you're there, take a bit of time to browse around. They have a plethora of wonderful avocado recipes and photos to go with each one, everything from breakfast to dinner ideas and all things in between. It's a great place for inspiration!
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California Avocado Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Avocado Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*, don't have any, make your own!
- ½ cup pureed avocado from 1 large, ripe California Avocado**
- 6 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk, from 1 large egg (save white for another purpose or discard)
- ⅔ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup milk
- Avocado Buttercream, recipe below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium-size bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the pureed avocado and butter. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the brown and white sugar and continue beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add egg, egg yolks and pumpkin puree. Beat for another minute, stopping half way to scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
- With mixer on low speed. add flour mixture (about ¼ at a time) and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until dry ingredients are incorporated. After all ingredients are added, scrape down sides of bowl, increase speed to medium and beat for another 15 seconds.
- Scoop batter into prepared pans, filling each cup about ¾ full. You may have a bit of extra batter but don’t try to over fill the cups.
- Bake 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool in pans for 15 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.
- When completely cool, frost with California Avocado Caramel Buttercream (recipe below).
Notes
For this recipe, you’ll want the avocado puree to be very smooth and cream. Use a food processor, blender or immersion blender to obtain best results.
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Avocado Caramel Buttercream
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. melted butter
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp. milk, more if needed (see step 6, below)
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup mashed avocado from 1 large, ripe California Avocado*
- 2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
- 5 ½ cups powdered sugar, more if needed (see step 6, below)
Instructions
- Combine melted butter, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine.
- Place in microwave and cook on high power for 1 minute. Stir well and return to microwave cooking another 1 minute on high. Mixture will vigorously bubble. Watch carefully to make sure it does not boil over sides of bowl
- Remove from microwave and set aside to cool for 30 minutes, then proceed with recipe.
- Place mashed avocado, softened butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Start with mixer on low speed and beat for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix for another minute.
- Add vanilla and cooled brown sugar/butter mixture and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula every minute or so.
- Icing should be creamy and spreadable. If it’s too stiff, add more milk and conversely, if too runny add powdered sugar, a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
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I have some avocados that I need to use right away and I can't think of a better way to use them. These look delicious Chris!
they look yummy! you wouldn't know they have avocado.
Chris, loving absolutely everything about this recipe and the whole post - your recipes using avocados are always amazing!
A thought just occurred to me while oglign your beautiful cupcakes...does the avocado eventually turn the frosting darker like it does on its own, or does the other ingredients keep the color from turning?
It's funny Veronica, I'm not sure why but even after 3 or 4 days, the icing was not brown. The first time I made it, I made a key lime icing so I thought it was the lime juice but I guess not cause this one was fine too. I did keep it refrigerated, perhaps that had something to do with it ????
These are gorgeous! I am gonna have to try your frsoting with the half avocado! I have used avocado to bake with but never in frosting! I am intrigued!
Happy Halloween
Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com
I think you could make avocados work in just about anything, Chris. These looke and sound delicious.
They look fabulous, Chris. I love the idea of combining avocado and pumpkin.in these cupcake. And the caramel buttercream is the killer!
Chris these look like the perfect recipe for the pumpkin I've been saving on my kitchen bench. Beautiful and delicious looking!
I love baking with avocado, but I never thought to connect them to pumpkin. Amazing idea!
What a great job. You are a magician or is it a wizard? Your food is just so beautiful.
Absolutely stunning work Chris!! These look AMAZING and soooo delicious!
These are quite lovely, they are the color of cappuccino! Would be wonderful to serve on Halloween! Or even better to bring on Thanksgiving!
These look great. Avocados are so versatile. Wonderful idea.
I love avocado...never would have guessed the addition in super yummy cupcake. Gorgeous swirls, and droolworthy cupcake!
I've never thought to add avocado to my baked goods. These look wonderful!
Wow, what a killer flavor combination! I would love to try an avocado cupcake, especially with caramel frosting. Love these, Chris!
Oh my. Kathy's right, those do look wonderful...and decadent. I can't believe the amazing things you're able to do with avocado.
Wow, these look terrific! Very good recipe - thanks for this. Great pictures and food styling, too.
These sound wonderful Chris and are so pretty, I'd almost hate to take a bite out of them. It's amazing how versatile avocados can be and your recipe demonstrates that. Nice job!
I think you make the most beautiful swirls and curls! I love your cakes and cupcakes and now I know it's that special addition of avocado! Caramel buttercream sounds heavenly Chris!
absolutely beautiful cupcakes!!!!
Your cupcakes look so good, I'd never guess they included avocado. And that buttercream - divine!
Oh, my!!!! I need many of those...I am sharing them as well!
Who would have guessed?? beautiful cupcakes - we love avocado so scrumptious!
Mary x
I have to admit that avocados and pumpkin aren't a combination I would have thought of, but your cupcakes look delicious, Chris, and I could probably gobble up more than my share of the icing. Your ratio of frosting to cake is perfect.
Oh boy, these look and sound wonderful! I love avocado…I’ve even made avocado ice cream, and it was delicious!
This cupcake recipe looks too good!