Pumpkin pie-flavored cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1 and 3/4 cups cake flour*
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spices
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp fine salt
• 450 gr. pumpkin puree
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 160 g melted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Special equipment: small cookie cutters and a piping bag with a round tip

Decoration

• Some shortcrust pastry
• 2 tbsp. l. milk for coating
• Granulated sugar for sprinkling

Filling/glaze

• 115 g of cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Position the rack in the middle third of the oven and preheat to 170°C.
   
   Place paper muffin cups in a 12-cup metal muffin pan and spray the paper cups and tops of the metal pan with cooking spray.
2. For cupcakes: In a large bowl, mix together cake flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and gently fold in (it's okay if there are lumps).
3. Bake until the cupcakes spring back easily when pressed, 24 to 28 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. (The cupcakes can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.)
   
   Decoration from scrapsWhile the muffins are cooling, cut 12 pieces of dough using fluted cutters and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each piece with milk using a pastry brush and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let cool completely.
   
   For filling/glazeIn a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and beat until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer the mixture to the prepared piping bag.
   
   To fill and decorate cupcakesUse a teaspoon or a noisette spoon to scoop out a small ball of filling from the center of each cupcake (save these balls of dough). Pipe a small amount of filling into each hole and top with the previously removed ball of dough. Decorate each cupcake with a swirl of the buttercream mixture using a piping bag. (From this point on, the cupcakes can be refrigerated for 2 hours if you want to serve them cold.) Carefully push the decoration into the buttercream frosting on each cupcake and serve.
   
   Note *
   
   Cake flour is a low-gluten flour. Place the flour in a measuring cup, remove 2 tablespoons of flour, and then add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch..
   
   1 cup cake flour is all-purpose flour plus 2 tbsp cornstarch
   
   We use sifted flour to make the baked goods airy.