Pumpkin Mousse Cupcakes....and Dude

I mentioned yesterday about a Pumpkin Mousse filled cupcake.

Well before I posted I had to try it out ....so I could tell you if it was worthy or not.

For starters ....yes, yes, it's worthy.

2nd....I would change the name ...it didn't taste like pumpkin and the cupcake was like pound cake....BUT EVERYONE LOVED IT.

The icing recipe was a joke for me...either I am totally insane...or they are. Read on....

Ingredients

• Cupcakes
  2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin pie filling
• Frosting
  5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 5 tablespoons brewed coffee
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up

Directions

Cupcakes

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners. (I only got 12 out of this)

2. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and 1/4 cup of the milk; beat 3 minutes, until fluffy. (what does that even mean when beating eggs and milk....it wasn't fluffy...but soupy so maybe fail #1 for me) In three additions, alternately beat in flour mixture and remaining 1/2 cup milk. Spoon scant 1/4 cup into each liner. (gotta love ice cream scoopers)

3. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

4. Blend whipped topping and pumpkin pie filling. (try adding a 1/2 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice...)Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size round tip. Insert into top of each cake, about 1/2 inch deep, and squeeze until top starts to rise slightly. I only had 12 cupcakes to fill...if I had 16 then I wouldn't have enough filling...I barely had enough for the 12. I also would have gone down 1" instead of the 1/2". So suggestion...double this filling and stick the sucker in deeper)

Frosting

5. Microwave chocolate and coffee for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave 15 more seconds. Stir until smooth; add 4 pieces of butter at a time and stir until smooth. Let stand until spreadable consistency. (ok I got a ganache with these directions. A really yummy one too, but......I let it sit out for a bit and still didn't get to frosting consistency like in the photo they showed. I ended up adding more chocolate chips to make it thicken up.....then I got out my 1 lb box of powdered sugar and some cream and beat all that together for a FANTASTIC ganachey goodness frosting)

6. Frost cupcakes; chill until set.

Hubs asked if I made a pound cake....I said nope...he said he loved loved loved the cupcake texture...(he's hard to please)

I hate websites that only let you rate a recipe and not comment why. I love reading reviews...sometimes ppl have great suggestions...or if you had problems you can read you were not alone...or how ppl corrected the issues....(like with the frosting)

I might even try these again but w/a fruit filling...and a icing to match...maybe a cream cheese one...the possibilities are endless

If you were going through Dude withdrawals...here he is in all his snotty glory (yes ...still has his cold...boo)