Pecan Pie Cupcakes

The Pecan Pie cupcake was the fourth American Flavours cupcake that I baked to go inside a cupcake box for my boyfriend's birthday. It is a brown sugar cupcake with chopped toasted pecans inside topped with brown sugar buttercream and a toasted pecan. It will be going with a Mississippi Mud pie cupcake, a Key Lime Pie cupcake, a Boston Cream Pie cupcake, an Oreo cupcake and a Smore's cupcake.

Pecan Pie Cupcakes Recipe

Makes 12

 130 grams plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

165 grams dark brown sugar

110 grams butter softened

2 large eggs

125 ml whole milk at room temperature

85 grams toasted pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/350'F/Gas mark 4. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcakes cases.
2. In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl beat the brown sugar and butter at high speed with a mixer, or with a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy. This shouldn't take longer than five minutes.
4. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. 
5. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture, then add half of the milk. Keep beating. Add the remaining half of the flour and the rest of the milk and beat until it is combined.
6. Using a metal spoon fold in the chopped pecans and vanilla.
7. Fill the cupcake cases to 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 or until golden and springy to the touch.

Brown Sugar Buttercream 

40 grams dark brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt

55 grams butter and a separate 2 tbsp of butter

500 grams icing sugar

2-3 tbsp whole milk

1. In a saucepan combine brown sugar, water and salt. Place it on a medium high heat and bring to the boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the 2 tbsp of butter. Leave to cool.
2. In a large bowl beat the cooled brown sugar mixture and the remaining butter with an electric mixer at medium speed, or a wooden spoon, until it is creamy.
3. Add the icing sugar slowly beating until it is combined. Then add enough milk to achieve a think consistency for piping.
4. Pipe onto the cupcakes using a large round nozzle to achieve a buttercream swirl. Place a whole toasted pecan on the top for decoration. 

 The finished box of American Flavours cupcakes.