Pumpkin Hazelnut Cupcake

Recently I am keen on baking cupcake, trying to find a recipe that Isaac love so that I can bake some for his friends on his birthday or kindy event. This is my 2nd attempt, recipe is grabbed from My Kitchen.

Ingredients:(around 24 cupcakes)
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250g Unsalted Butter
180g Castor Sugar
3 Large Eggs
150g Steamed Pumpkin, mashed
300g Self-raising Flour
20g Corn Flour
60g Milk
150g Pumpkin, peeled and diced
Pinch of salt
Raw Hazelnut (mash and bake in oven until it turns to light brown)
Pumpkin slices, for topping (optional)
Pineapple-cane Sugar (optional)

Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 175ºC. Line and grease the baking pan.
2. Cream butter together with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and cream until light and smooth or the colour turned pale.
3. Stir in mashed pumpkin and mix until well blended.
4. Sift together flours and salt, fold into the mixture alternate with milk. Mix until well combined then stir in diced pumpkin and baked hazelnut.
5. Line paper cups in muffin tray, transfer batter in to paper cups.
6. Arrange pumpkin slices on the surface and sprinkle with pineapple-cane sugar. You may also add some pumpkin seeds.
7. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until it is cooked. Cool on rack.


The appearance and taste was quite nice, however I still not satisfied with the result. It didn't raise as what I have expected, middle part is quite dense. After discussing with my colleagues, we concluded that: 1st, butter + sugar is not beat until pale and creamy. 2nd, flour should be sifted before use (I skipped this step as I thought this small action it will not make any different)

Cool, at least I know roughly where went wrong. I will give 3rd try during school holiday. Hope it success this time....