Pumpkin Cupcakes
These Pumpkin Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are an absolute must-make this fall. These tender, moist pumpkin spice cupcakes are topped with a tall swirl of rich and velvety cream cheese frosting! You can make these cupcakes a little more festive by adding a cute pumpkin topper or fall sprinkles to the top. Get other tasty cake and cupcake recipes while you're here.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are a pumpkin lover's dream come true. I have made these over and over again and they are always a hit. Whether I whip them up for parties, after-dinner dessert, or a bake sale, they're always the popular dessert.
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Butter - I usually use salted butter in my recipes, but you can use unsalted and add ½ teaspoon of salt instead.
- Vegetable oil - I like to use a little vegetable oil because it makes a moist a cake, but the butter adds the flavor. You can use canola oil instead.
- Sugar - This recipe calls for both granulated or white sugar and light brown sugar. I haven't tried dark brown sugar to know for sure how that works in this recipe.
- Eggs - I use large recipes in all of my recipes. Using a different size egg may provide too little or too much liquid to the batter.
- Vanilla Extract - I love Rodelle vanilla extract but feel free to use your favorite vanilla extract.
- Pumpkin puree - I don't have a specific brand preference. I'll use any as long as it's 100% pure pumpkin.
- Spices - This pumpkin cupcake recipe sure is spiced up! I used pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. It's the perfect combination.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder - Hello, leavening agents. These two ingredients help make the cupcakes rise.
- Flour - No need for any fancy flour for this recipe. Grab your all-purpose flour and mix away!
How To Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
Beat together the butter, oil, and sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the pumpkin puree and set the bowl aside.
Grab a second bowl and add in all of the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine and then add to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Then spoon the batter into a cupcake pan and then bake as directed below. Make sure to stick a toothpick in the center of the cupcakes and ensure the cupcakes are cooked through.
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Once your cupcakes have cooled and are done, you can begin working on your frosting. I used a cream cheese frosting so ensure that your cream cheese is at room temperature. This will give your cupcakes a velvety texture that you want.
Frost your cupcakes and then serve.
What Frosting Goes With Pumpkin Cupcakes
I personally like cream cheese frosting. But you can use almost any frosting that you think will be good. You could do straight vanilla, caramel or even pumpkin spice frosting.
How to Store Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Due to the cream cheese frosting, your cupcakes need to be stored in the refrigerator. The reason being is the cream cheese will go bad if left out on the counter. Your cupcakes will store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
How to Freeze Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
If you don't plan to eat them right away, you can freeze the cupcakes up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container. Just thaw the cupcakes in the fridge overnight before you plan to eat.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 5 to 6 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, add in the butter, oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until creamed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add in the vanilla extract. Next, add in the eggs one at a time and beat until each egg is completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg.
- Add in the pumpkin puree and beat until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, add in pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients in with the wet and beat on low just until the flour is worked into the batter.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ¾ full of batter.
- Place into the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until done. Place a toothpick into the center of the cupcake and if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it's done!
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and let them finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, add in the cream cheese and butter. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until creamy.
- Add in the powdered sugar and milk. Beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in any unmixed bits.
- Add the frosting into a piping bag with a straight tip and pipe swirls on the cooled cupcakes.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
Super easy recipe to follow & the cupcakes were so soft and moist! Will keep this as my only pumpkin cupcake recipe!!
So glad you found success and enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking time to comment Jess!