Makes 12
This is an easy recipe for delicious pumpkins cupcakes. When I make cupcakes, I’m always tempted to add icing on top as a sweetener, such as chocolate avocado, which I use in this recipe. I also like to add a generous amount of fruit, in this case 100 grams of fresh blueberries but this is optional.
Ingredients
For the icing
1 large avocado
4 soft Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
150ml oat milk
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the cupcake batter
90g butter
150g pumpkin seeds (you can also use 150 grams of ground almond instead)
100g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
70g coconut sugar
6 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground to a fine powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
150ml yogurt
100g blueberries
Method
First to make the avocado icing. Place the avocado, milk and the dates in a food processor and blend until smooth (add 1or 2 extra tablespoons of milk if needed). Add the cacao powder and vanilla and blend again until completely combined. Transfer the avocado to a pipping bag, seal the bag and fringe for at least an hour or until you are ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 400°F/ Gas 6. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases.
Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat then set aside to cool.
Using a spice grinder, grind the pumpkin seeds in small batches until you reach the consistency of flour. Do not grind too much as this may release the oil contained in the nuts. (You can use almond, pistachio or plain flour instead of pumpkin seeds).
Add the ground pumpkin, flour, baking powder, sugar, cardamom and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir to mix.
Beat the eggs with a whisk until smooth then beat in the yogurt and melted butter until well combined. Stir into the flour mixture and the blueberries with a large metal spoon until mixed.
Divide the batter between the muffin cases. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until risen and golden-brown.
Allow to cool on a wire rack. Pipe the avocado icing on top and add some fruit of your choice on top if you wish.
Enjoy!
Atoosa xx