Cutest Decorated Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Cupcakes
Delight in the flavors of fall with these adorable pumpkin patch chocolate cupcakes! Featuring moist, vegan devil's food cupcakes topped with creamy orange buttercream pumpkins and pretzel stems, these treats are perfect for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any autumn gathering. Easy to make and irresistibly cute, these cupcakes are a fun way to celebrate the season!
Servings: 15 cupcakes
Calories: 378kcal
Cost: $10
Ingredients
For the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 1 cup almond milk + 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon chocolate, coffee, or vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Homemade Orange Frosting:
- 1 cup vegan butter or regular butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar add more for firmer consistency
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons almond milk or orange juice
- Generous pinch of salt
- Orange and green gel food coloring
Instructions
Prepare the Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, combine almond milk and vinegar. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to curdle.
- In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat the oil and sugar together until gritty.
- Add your choice of extract (chocolate, coffee, or vanilla) and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) until evenly mixed.
- Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the oil/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins, filling each liner about ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Prepare the Orange Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to blend together vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk or orange juice. Start on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high until the frosting is light, fluffy, and smooth (about 1-2 minutes).
- Color most of the frosting with orange food coloring gel, reserving about ½ cup. Color the reserved frosting with green food coloring gel for the leaves.
Decorate the Cupcakes:
- Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, place the orange frosting in a pastry bag with a large star tip. Pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake to resemble a pumpkin.
- Break some pretzel sticks into small pieces to create pumpkin stems. Insert them into the center of each frosted cupcake.
- Use the green frosting in a pastry bag with a leaf tip or small round tip to pipe leaves around the pumpkin stems for a finishing touch.
Notes
- Vegan Substitutions: To keep your frosting vegan, use vegan butter and vegan-friendly powdered sugar. Ensure the food coloring is also vegan.
- Frosting Consistency: If your frosting is too firm, soften it by microwaving it for 5 seconds at a time and stirring after each interval, or use a mixer to loosen it with a bit of almond milk.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.5mg