Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, cinnamon, pecans, and carrots create a showstopper cake, made even better with the addition of chocolate cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but the nice thing is that they are almost all pantry basics.

This is one of my favorite cheesecakes (not surprising since I love chocolate turtles so much), and I can’t wait for you to try it!

Ingredients and Equipment

The crust of this dessert is made with flour, pecan pieces, brown sugar, unsalted butter, and ground cinnamon.

Hummingbird cupcakes are more dense then a typical cupcake and they work really well as brunch item like my banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins.

This recipe was taken (with permission) right out of the book Sally’s Candy Addiction [paid link]. Sally McKenny, the author and blogger behind Sally’s Baking Addiction, created this fantastic book that’s a treasure trove of recipes for any candy lover. I found her caramel recipe incredibly approachable and perfect for these turtle candies.

Diving into these maple pecan cupcakes from the top, you’ll be met with butter pecan buttercream frosting that tastes exactly like butter pecan ice cream – so much so that you may be tempted to put it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.  That wouldn’t be a bad choice, but then you would miss out on discovering how well the butter pecan pairs with the pecan-packed maple cupcakes made with a half cup of pure maple syrup.  Together, frosting and cupcake are pecan perfection!

And if you can’t get enough of the sweet and comforting maple flavor, try this easy Maple Butter as well!

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Maple Pecan Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Buttercream Frosting

Diving into these maple pecan cupcakes from the top, you’ll be met with butter pecan buttercream frosting that tastes exactly like butter pecan ice cream – so much so that you may be tempted to put it in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cupcakes

Calories 480kcal

Author Stefani

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup finely crushed pecans
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cupcake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together flour, crushed pecans, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Mix in the sugar and maple syrup until fully combined.
• Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes.
• Mix in the eggs and vanilla until just combined.
• Mix in the milk until just combined.
• Fold in the chopped pecans.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

Frosting Instructions

• Frosting Directions
• To prepare the butter pecans, melt two tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium low heat.
• Add pecans and salt to the skillet. Cook for six to eight minutes, stirring periodically, until almost all of the butter is absorbed. Remove from heat, but leave in the skillet.
• To prepare the frosting, in a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix remaining one cup of butter on medium-low speed for three minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Slowly mix in powdered sugar until fully combined.
• Mix in vanilla until fully combined.
• Scrape the cooled pecans and any butter left in the skillet into the frosting and fold in.
• Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1.2mg