Gingerbread Boys & Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

I love ginger and chocolate, combined the flavours remind of chocolate dipped Lebkuchen and all those other lovely German Christmas treats.

These lightly spiced cupcakes, with the addition of pumpkin to keep them moist & creamy chocolate truffle centres are sure to become a Christmas favourite. 

Gingerbread Boys & Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour (all purpose)
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
1 tsp  ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar 
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup *pureed cooked pumpkin 
2 tbsp orange juice

Truffle filling
225g dark eating chocolate
175ml cream

Method
Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, spices and salt into a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil and eggs, beat in pumpkin & orange juice, fold in remaining dry ingredients.

Divide mixture into prepared pan, bake for 22 to 27 minutes. or until tops of cupcakes spring back when gently touched. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove to a cooling rack to cool.

Unfilled cakes keep for two to three days in an airtight container or double wrapped frozen for one month.

Truffle filling;
Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Place cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then immediately pour over chocolate. Mix until chocolate has melted. 

Cut round hole in top of cakes using a small knife or small cookie cutter. Spoon *truffle mix into holes and tap each cake gently on bench to smooth/settle the filling. 

Decorate with gingerbread men sprinkles or as desired. 

*Notes: Steam pumpkin and mash with a fork until smooth. Once the cakes are filled with truffle mix they need to be served immediately or refrigerated in a covered container, bring to room temperature before serving. You may have left over truffle mix, depending on how deep you cut the holes in the cakes, remaining mix can be be made into small balls and rolled in cocoa to make truffles.

Adapted from Pumpkin cupcakes 125 best Cupcake recipes Julie Hasson