Pumpkin Hazelnut Cupcakes with Plums

Ingredients

• 100 g softened butter
• 150 g raw sugar
• 2 pinch vanilla powder
• 3 eggs
• 80 g pumpkin puree
• 1 organic lemon (zest and juice)
• 125 g wheat flour type 1050
• 80 g ground hazelnut kernels
• Cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 90 g hazelnut kernels
• 250 g plums
• 80 ml red grape juice
• 0.5 organic orange
• 0.5 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp Cornstarch
• 150 g whipping cream

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cream butter with 50 g sugar and a pinch of vanilla powder. Beat eggs with pumpkin puree, lemon zest and juice, then fold in flour, ground hazelnuts, ½ tsp cinnamon, cardamom, and baking powder.

2. 2.

   Chop 40 g hazelnuts and toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes. Fold the toasted nuts into the batter and fill cupcake liners. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan; gas: level 2–3) for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, roughly chop the remaining hazelnuts and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a pan, combine 80 g sugar with a touch of cinnamon. Add 35 ml water, bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the sugar melts and the mixture boils, add the hazelnuts, stirring well so they are evenly coated in syrup. Let them caramelize for 3–5 minutes until golden brown, then spread on the sheet and cool for 10–15 minutes.

4. 4.

   Wash, halve, and pit the plums. In a saucepan, caramelize the remaining sugar over low heat. Deglaze with grape juice and simmer until the caramel dissolves after about 3 minutes. Wash the orange hot, dry it, grate the zest, and squeeze out the juice. Add the zest and cinnamon stick to the grape juice. Thicken the orange juice with cornstarch, stirring in while it simmers for a few minutes. Add the plums, cook for 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat and cool. Discard the cinnamon stick. Whip the cream with remaining vanilla powder until stiff.

5. 5.

   Spoon 1–2 tbsp whipped cream onto each cupcake, top with plums, and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.