Maple Pecan Cupcakes
Maple cupcakes with pecan chunks, topped with maple buttercream and decorated with more pecans
Servings 12 Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 150 g unsalted butter, softened (I use Stork baking spread)
- 120 g caster sugar
- 30 g soft brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 g pecans, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
For the icing:
- 150 g butter, softened
- 300 g icing sugar, sifted
- 3 tsp maple syrup
- 2-4 tbsp milk
To decorate:
- 100 g pecan halves
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Line a 12-hole cupcake tray with paper cases and set aside while you make the batter.
- Place the butter and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes until pale and creamy.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Combine the chopped pecans with 1 tsp of the flour (this will prevent the pecans from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking). Sift together the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on medium speed until just combined.
- Add the milk and maple syrup to the mixer bowl and mix for a few seconds, until combined. Gently fold in the flour-coated chopped pecans.
- Divide the batter between the cupcake tins (I like to use a regular-sized ice cream/cookie scoop for this- it fills the cupcake cases perfectly and ensures all of the cakes are even. You want to fill the cases about 2/3 full.
- Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown and spring back when touched. Because of the higher sugar content, these cakes will be slightly darker than a typical vanilla sponge- don't worry about this! Allow the cupcakes to cool for a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.
For the icing:
- Place the softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 4-5 minutes, until the butter is soft and significantly paler (almost white), scraping down the edges of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Add half of the sifted icing sugar to the butter and mix on low-medium speed until fully incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the maple syrup and 2 tbsp of the milk. Beat on high speed for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the remaining icing sugar, mix on low-medium speed until combined, then beat on high for a final 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and airy. Check the consistency at this point, you're looking for a buttercream that holds its shape, but is still soft and spreadable. If the buttercream is too stiff, add more milk, a little at a time, until your desired consistency is achieved.
- Turn the stand mixer to low speed, and mix the icing for 1 minute. This will make for a smoother, silkier buttercream.
To decorate:
- Set aside 12 pecan halves for later and finely chop the remaining pecans. Spread the chopped pecans out, in an even layer, on the chopping board.
- Place a generous amount of buttercream on top of a cupcake. Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the buttercream out past the sides of the case. You're looking to get a flat surface, right across the top of the cake, with excess at the edges. Then, holding your spatula vertically (perpendicular to the flat surface of buttercream), scrape around the circumference of the cake to achieve a thick, buttercream 'disk' atop your cupcake.
- Before the buttercream has a chance to firm up, gently roll the straight edge of the buttercream 'disk' in the chopped pecans, right around the circle. Finish the cupcake by placing one of the reserved halves in the centre. Repeat for the remaining cupcakes.