Dazzle your Thanksgiving guests with this chocolate cupcake recipe! The secret ingredient that makes these Dark Chocolate Cupcakes so moist and scrumptious is pumpkin! The chocolate cupcakes are rich in flavor with a twist of spice and just the right amount of pumpkin zest to embody the flavors of autumn. Top with Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting and you will be taken away to sweet heaven!
If you don’t want to use canned pumpkin than make your own puree! This chocolate cupcake recipe is a good way of using up those small sugar pumpkins you have lying around outside and not letting your money go to waste. Larger pumpkins like the ones typically used for jack-o-lanterns can also work, but don’t have the nice texture or sweetness of the “Pie Pumpkins.” Please do not try recycling any carved pumpkins that have been sitting since Halloween, as they are a bacteria mess and probably are already growing mold.
Good Cook Pumpkin Scoop
The thought of making pumpkin puree might seem a bit tedious and scary. Yet, with the correct tools such as the Good Cook Pumpkin Scoop, the task won’t take as long and you will be rewarded with the fresh taste along with knowing you made everything from scratch. The scoop makes scraping out the pumpkin and cutting it up to bake a cinch! Unfortunately I did not have any unused pumpkins, so I used fresh packed pumpkin for this chocolate cupcake recipe. However, the scoop is easy to use, has strong plastic serrated teeth for removing the pumpkin’s innards and dually has a knife hiding inside the handle perfect for slicing it into pieces. It is available for purchase at Walmart.
Good Cook Bakeware
For baking the cupcakes I utilized a nonstick muffin pan from Good Cook lined with plain cupcake liners. Remember, your finished baked product truly relies on the quality of pan used. Good Cook Bakeware is designed to distribute heat evenly for thorough baking without hotspots or burned edges; meaning your cupcakes won’t be undercooked in the middle or have those nasty overcooked crispy edges. The professional gauge steel construction protects against warping, breaking, and staining so your pan stays looking new longer. The nonstick coating makes removing your baked goods effortless and easy cleaning. I love the Good Cook products and give their bakeware a rating of 5 out of 5 stars!
Recipe Recommendations
Now for the chocolate cupcakes! The chocolate cupcake recipe calls for 1 ½ tsp of cinnamon. To get the spiciest bite, I recommend Saigon Cinnamon. It has a stronger flavor and really comes out in the taste of the cupcakes. Make sure to use a good quality dark cocoa like Hershey’s as well. The Spiced Rum used in the frosting was Blackheart Premium, which has hints of vanilla, nutmeg, cedar, and cherry. But any bold spiced rum will do the trick. Just try to resist your pirate instincts and get some in the frosting before drinking the entire bottle!
Chocolate Cupcake Recipe – Pumpkin with Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups Dark Hershey's unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp Saigon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons Blackheart Premium spiced rum
Optional Garnish
- chopped pecans
- shaved dark chocolate
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, Saigon cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and set aside.
- Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, until fluffy. Incorporate the eggs, adding one at a time. Beating until the mixture is smooth and light.
- Alternately add the flour mixture and pumpkin mixture, blending well after each addition.
- Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake for 18 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Spiced Rum Cream Cheese Frosting
- To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the rum and vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Refrigerate the frosting for 20 minutes until it thickens. Frost cupcakes and garnish cupcake edges with chopped pecans and shaved dark chocolate.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party!
Come Join Me, Good Cook, TheFrugalMom and other Good Cook Kitchen Experts!
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Twitter Party, Monday, November 25, 2013 at 6:00 pm to 7:00pm EST On Twitter with hashtag #Thanksgivingtips
Join in as we talk about everything Thanksgiving from turkey prep to decorating the table. Plus get a chance to win a special gift and one of three $200 Thanksgiving Baskets that will arrive in time for your dinner.
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Oh you just made me so hungry! The frosting sounds so yummy and I love the pecans on top too! Chocolate and pecans definitely make a perfect dessert for me! Definitely going to try to make the Twitter party too
Wow, this sounds interesting. I love pumpkin and dark chocolate, so I think the cupcakes would be yummy. I’m not so sure about the frosty. Lol I guess I’m not adventurous enough.
looks yummy! thank you for the recipe
Pumpkin is my favorite holiday flavor and these look delicious! I love making cupcakes for holiday parties because they are an easy serve for all ages! No serving dishes to wash!
I love the seasonal flavor of pumpkin especially in desserts and these cupcakes sound and look delicious!
What a combination, I never would have thought of this. Oh, I’m so hungry right now…….I’ve swear I’ve gained more weight from fixing the recipes on here.. LOL, but the taste sensations are worth it!
So yummy…. I love dark chocolate. I really want to eat . thanks for the recipe. it looks very chocolaty.
This sounds really good. I never would have thought to mix pumpkin and spiced rum. I know my husband will love these. Thanks for the recipe.
this would make a great holiday treat
what a great holiday dessert! thanks for sharing!
im going to try these at christmas…thanks
well this looks like fun..thanks
these look amazing. they probably taste even better. i would love to try them this holiday season.
Yum! I love the mix of pumpkin, cinnamon and cocoa! It looks delicious just from your photo, so I can just imagine how great they taste with the added frosting! Spiced rum for the frosting is probably the cherry on top for these perfect-for-autumn cupcakes! Thanks for the recipe, I’m going to have to make these some time during the holiday season.
these look amazing and are great for the holiday season. they incorporate the ingredients that you associate with the holidays. i would have them with a big glass of milk.