Pumpkin Cupcakes + Cream Cheese Frosting with Spooky Ghost Meringues
The perfect treat for Halloween! A delicately spiced & tender pumpkin cake with tangy cream cheese frosting. Topped with crunchy-marshmellow-y spooky ghost meringues!
Servings 12
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp clove
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup refined coconut oil melted, room temp
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup almond milk, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup vegan butter, room temp
- ¼ cup vegan cream cheese, room temp
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TBS almond milk
Ghost Meringues
- ¾ cup aquafaba liquid from 1 -15oz can of chickpeas
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup cane sugar + 2 TBS, finely ground
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cupcake pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, coconut oil, sugar, almond milk and vanilla. Before combining make sure ingredients are at room temp to insure proper cohesion.
- Add dry mix into the wet mix and gently combine, folding the batter, careful not to overmix.
- Scoop batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners. Filling about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 22-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.
For the frosting
- Make sure vegan butter and vegan cream cheese are at room temp to incorporate properly. In a stand mixer or handheld mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until combined.
- Turn mixer to low and slowly add sifted confectioner's sugar in ½ cup additions. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl to make sure it is all incorporated.
- Mix until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla and milk. Mix 2 more minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble.
For the meringues
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Line two 9x13 sheet pans with parchment paper. Prepare piping bag with large round tip.
- Process 3/4 cup + 2 TBS cane sugar in a blender or food processor until finely ground, close to powdered sugar consistency. Set aside.
- Strain 1-15oz can of chickpeas into a mixing bowl with the cream of tartar. Whip until thick. Store chickpeas in fridge.
- Once the liquid is foamy and thick, gradually add the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Add vanilla. Whip until stiff peaks, 8min - 16min.
- Transfer meringue into piping bag and pipe ghost blobs onto lined sheet pans. Bake low and slow for 2 hours. Do not open the oven door while baking. Cool to room temp on pans then transfer to wire racks.
Black Icing
- Combine 1/4 cup + 1 TBS powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp activated charcoal and 3/4 tsp water in small bowl. Whisk together to form a pipe-able icing for the ghost eyes decoration.
- Once the meringues have completely cooled, pipe spooky ghost eyes!