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Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Toasted Meringue Frosting

Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes with Toasted Meringue

Sandy Hoopes
Fast and Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes that add real pumpkin puree to a spiced cake mix for a healthy, cinnamon-y treat.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 15oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 3 whole large eggs (for cupcakes)
  • 3 whole large egg whites (for meringue)
  • ½ cup sugar (for meringue)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (for meringue)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin with cooking spray.
    In a large bowl, whisk the dry cake mix and the pie spice together until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree and the yogurt. Mix on low speed until blended then, turn up the speed of the mixer to med-high speed and beat for 2 more minutes.
    Spoon the batter into the cupcake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done and a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
    Remove from the oven and cool slightly before turning the cupcake out onto a board or counter.
    Make the meringue—
    I a large bowl, combine the egg whites, the sugar and the salt. Put the bowl over the top of a sauce pan with simmering water and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Make sure water from the steam does not get into the egg whites.
    Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat the eggs whites with a mixer on med-high speed.
    Put the meringue in a pastry bag that has been fitted with a very large star tip.
    When the cupcakes are cool, pipe the meringue onto each cupcake.
    Brown the meringue with a creme brûlée torch or place the cupcakes under a 400 degree oven until the meringue is toasted OR use a small kitchen torch or creme brulee torch to toast the meringue.