In the winter months, or at Halloween, make the most of pumpkin by creating these special cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 500g pumpkin flesh
- 250ml sunflower oil
- 300g light muscovado sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp each ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground mixed spice
- 1 jar Dulce de Leche (banoffee toffee made by Merchant Gourmet, from supermarkets)
- 12 dried ready-to-eat apricots
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Line the holes of a 12-hole muffin tin (the holes should be 5cm across at the top and just over 3cm deep) with paper muffin cases.
- 2. Put the pumpkin into a heatproof bowl with 1 tablespoon of water. Cover with cling film and pierce a few times. Microwave on high for 10 minutes (based on an 800w oven) until the pumpkin is tender. Cool for 2-3 minutes before lifting off the cling film, or the steam could scald you. Transfer to a food processor and put the lid on. Whizz for 30 seconds until smooth, or use a hand blender. (If you aren’t using a microwave, put the pumpkin into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of water and simmer, covered, over a medium heat for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain off any excess liquid, then whizz as above.)
- 3. Put the oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. Using an electric hand whisk, mix together for 3 minutes until thick and pale. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon and mixed spice. Take a large metal spoon and mix gently yet thoroughly until you can no longer see any dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin purée and stir lightly to combine.
- 4. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, so they’re all three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and cooked through. Insert a skewer into the centre of a muffin – if it comes out clean, it’s ready. Cool the cakes in the tin for 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
- 5. Put a tablespoonful of Dulce de Leche on top of each cake, then spread evenly across the top of each cake. Top each one with a dried apricot to decorate.