Pumpkin Cupcakes

an open pumpkin cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting.

These Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting have an ultra-fluffy texture with a tender, moist, and velvety crumb that will melt in your mouth. They will blow your mind!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, pumpkin spice cupcakes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Servings Servings

Calories 418kcal

Author Maria Doss

Equipment

Ingredients

Pumpkin cupcake

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated, optional
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (½ cup)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs preferably at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Cream cheese frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperarture block style
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioners sugar

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 12-cup standard cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Combine butter and both sugars in the bowl in a large bowl and use an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes).
Add pumpkin puree and vegetable oil and beat until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Beat in milk and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure ingredients are evenly combined.
Add the dry ingredients and beat until it just comes together. Don't overmix.
Divide batter evenly into the prepared pan, and bake for 24 to 26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few moist crumbs or clean.
Place pan on a wire rack to cool completey before frosting.

Frosting

Combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
Tip: Use full-fat cream cheese and not the spreadable type from a tub. The full-fat will give the frosting a perfectly creamy consistency.
Gradually add confectioners sugar and beat until smooth, and light.
Pro tip: Add additional confectioners sugar as needed to get the right consistency.
Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Wilton 1M tip.

Video

Notes

Pumpkin pie spice - Use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of the spices.

Pumpin puree - I like to use Libby’s brand of pumpkin puree as it is thick with rich color and taste. Different brands may be lighter in color or more watery in consistency.

Nutrition