Choc full of pumpkin loooooove

I live in a little town, not far from where I grew up - in another little town. I actually attended Elementary school in the school that my kids currently attend. It's funny, because I always swore that once I could get out of here, I would. Interestingly enough, I've ended up back where I started. Granted, I'd move to Seattle at the drop of a hat, if I could, but currently I can't. Fingers crossed, I'll be able to go sooner than later.

Anyway, every year the local fire department sponsors a chili supper so they can raise money for the department, and the EMT's. I was asked if I would be willing to donate baked goods for the bake sale, and of course, I did! Since I wasn't over my pumpkin love yet, I wanted to make something pumpkiny, yet unique. These Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes seemed like the way to go. Not only was I satisfying my pumpkin craving, I was also making something kinda off the wall. I wouldn't have thought these flavors would have melted together as well as they did, until I tasted one. Big thumbs up over here!!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

pired by Phemomenon.com

For the cupcakes:

2 c all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 1/4 c dark brown sugar

2/3 c granulated sugar

3/4 c canola oil

3 large egs

1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c sour cream

For Salted Caramel Sauce

3/4 c granulated sugar

2 tsp light corn sugar

1 stick salted butter, cubed

2 Tbsp heavy cream

1/4 tsp sea salt

For the Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsatled butter, softened

6 c confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla

For the ganache

4 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 c heavy cream

2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prep your cupcake pans with liners. Combine all your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk until blended, and set aside.

In your mixer bowl, beat together oil and sugars until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and blend for about 2 minutes until smooth. Add pumpkin, vanilla, then sour cream to bowl. Mix for about 1 minute, scraping bowl down as necessary. Turn mixer down to low, and slowly add dry ingredients.

Scoop batter into cupcake pans and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 7 minutes, then remove to cooling rack.

For your carmel sauce, place sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Set heat to medium low and melt sugar crystals. You don't want to stir this, directly. If you need to shift the sugar a bit, simply swirl your pan around a few times. After about 5 minutes or so, grab a spatula and stir the contents gently, to make sure everything is melting, and nothing is burning. Once all the sugar is melted, add cream and watch it bubble! Stir the cream, then add the butter pieces and salt. Continue stirring until it thickens. Make sure that as soon as it begins to thicken up, remove from heat! It took me twice to do this right. The first time, I totally burnt my caramel. How did I know? It got REALLY dark REALLY fast, and when it was cool enough for me to taste, it tasted awful. My 2nd go at it was delish. Here are a few pics of my carmel making process (the 2nd time around) Allow this to cool completely before you prepare your frosting with it.

Sugar melting

Butter & Salt Added

Beginning to go Amber

Perfect!!

For your frosting whip together cream cheese and butter. Add your vanilla, and half of your sugar. Continue adding your sugar, until it's a nice consistency (about 5 1/2 c sugar for me!) Increase mixer speed to medium and pour carmel sauce into bowl, along inside of mixer bowl. Once desired amount of sauce is in, increase mixer speed to medium high and mix for another minute or so, until it's nice and smooth. Once frosting is complete, remove from mixer and chill in the fridge. This will make it a lot easier to pipe or spread on cupcakes. Fill piping bag (if using) with frosting and pipe your cakes.

Last, but not least, the ganache! Put all the ganache ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds, or until warm to the touch (not HOT....waaaarm!) Remove from micro and whisk together until sugar is completely dissolved. Place in the refrigerator and chill for about 20-25 minutes, until cool. Not COLD....cooooool! Once ganache is cooled, spoon over our frosted cupcakes.

You may want these to set for a few seconds before you dig in, to allow ganache to set up....then again, maybe not. Enjoy!