Pumpkin cupcakes with a bonfire topping!!

Now at this time of year, Halloween has just happened and bonfire night is round the corner, you’re looking for something to make for the party you’re hosting.

Everyone loves Halloween, my kids dress up as usual as some kind of dead zombie, a skeleton and the grim reaper. Do I join in? Too f#$@ing right I do, what adult doesn’t want to be a child again. Dont get me wrong, I don’t go and knock at my neighbours door, kneel down pretending I’m a kid and ask for sweets…. I just take my kids. We don’t want their teeth falling out do we??!!

Three days later and some of you may have pumpkins lying around, or flesh of the pumpkin in the fridge. You wont believe how many pumpkins are thrown away each year in the US and UK. The UK is set to throw away 8 Million Pumpkins in 2018, that’s 18,000 tonnes of FOOD WASTE!!!

I hate food going to waste, most of us live in a privileged position to have food on the table and feed our kids. But across the UK and the world there are a lot of people worse off. Now without preaching too much, make these PUMPKIN CUPCAKES…. its mega easy and the topping makes you look like an expert.

This year bonfire night is on a Monday, so most people will be visiting displays or lighting fireworks tonight. I have fond memories of my Dad slowly walking down the garden with a fading torch in his hand. Trying to find the pole to put the rocket in, whilst his hands are going numb with the cold November weather. Some years we’d have indoor ones, weird I know as these slug like fireworks slowly exploded out of their cases.

Just think tonight you could have these cupcakes on the ready for kids and adults alike to accompany their bottle of pop or cold beer. Here’s how you’re going to do it.

Preparation time 10 mins

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the pumpkin cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree from your leftovers
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water

For the Frosting and Bonfire topping

• 100g Unsalted butter
• 200g Icing sugar
• 1tsp Vanilla extract
• 1tbsp Whole milk
• Chocolate matchmakers
• Red sugar sprinkles

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tin with parchment papers.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. You can add some cloves at this point (a pinch) but I don’t tend to. Depends on your taste.

3. In a larger bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, water and vanilla. To give an extra dimension you can add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar as well.

4. Add together the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients in the larger bowl and mix together. You can whisk together or pop it in an electric mixer.

5. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full.

6. Place them in the oven and bake for 16-18 minutes. I stick a skewer into the cakes, and if it come out clean you know they’re done. Set them aside to cool and move onto the frosting and bonfire topping.

7. For the butter icing, make sure the butter is at room temperature. Using an electric or hand mixer beat the butter and gradually add the icing sugar.

8. Gradually add in the milk and vanilla and continue to beat until the buttercream is light and fluffy. I usually then pipe it on, but depending on how pretty you want it, you can just use a spoon and pallet knife!!

9. Sprinkle the red sugar decorations into the middle of the cupcakes on top of the icing. Cut the matchmakers in half, and make yourself a little campfire. Et voila!!! You now look like an expert baker for bonfire night.

Remember keep your distances from those fireworks!!!!

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