Dark Chocolate Brownie Pumpkin Cupcakes

Now I know what you're all thinking: this girl is pumpkin cray. I confess. It's a problem. But I am not ashamed! I shall stand by my pumpkin through thick and thin, through falling leaves and snow, through midterms and finals, through.... well I think you get the point. I am a pumpkin loyalist and I have an agenda: I want to infiltrate your lives with pumpkin EVERYTHING, including but not limited to these awesome cupcakes! This cupcake has a wonderful texture and combination of flavors. The dark chocolate bottom adds a nice bitter bite to the cupcakes while the pumpkin itself is creamy and semi-sweet, then the sugary icing pulls it all in into a delicious dessert. Now this is a cupcake to make your mother-in-law proud and wow those in-laws at Thanksgiving. 

(Brownie recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker; Pumpkin and Frosting recipe adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

Brownie

1/2 cup Earth Balance

3/4 cup raw cane sugar or other vegan sugar

2 flax eggs (2 tsp + 6 Tsp water) - mix flax and water together and let it sit for 5 minutes.

1 tsp vanilla extract (be sure to use the real thing and avoid imitation vanilla as it can contain animal byproducts in it)

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup special dark cocoa powered 

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 bag of Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chocolate chips

Pumpkin

1 15-ounce can of pumpkin

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

Frosting

1/4 cup of softened Earth Balance buttery spread

4 ounces of Tofutti Cream Cheese

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1.Preheat Oven to 350

2. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners (recipe yields 24 cupcakes)

Brownie

1. Cream Earth Balance and sugar together.

2. Pour in flax eggs, cocoa powder and vanilla extract and mix well.

3. Slowly stir in dry ingredients

4. Add chocolate chips and stir just until combined

Pumpkin

1. Mix pumpkin, brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses and vanilla extract together

2. In a separate bowl combine all of the dry ingredients together.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together until well combined. 

Frosting

1. Using a hand mixer beat the Earth Balance and Tofutti Cream Cheese until smooth.

2. Slowly add in confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. 

3. Beat until smooth

Assemblage

1. Using a soup or dinner spoon, place one spoonful of brownie batter into each cupcake liner. Use the spoon to spread the batter to the edges of the liner.

2. Place a spoonful of pumpkin batter on top of the brownie batter. The liners should be filled almost, but not quite, to the top. 

3. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly from the cupcakes. 

4. Allow cupcakes to cool for 45-60 minutes before icing.