Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe

These easy-to-make pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for Fall. Made with real pumpkin for the best pumpkin flavor and ground cinnamon, then topped with a whipped cream cheese icing. Make a batch of these scrumptious pumpkin cupcakes today!

Course desserts

Cuisine American

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

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 475kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup pumpkin puree
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs room temperature
⅔ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar
candy corn optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 count standard muffin (cupcake pan) with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 increments, stirring just until combined between each one. Divide batter evenly between the cupcake holes, filling about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, creamy, and lump-free. Mix in vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until fully incorporated. Pipe or frost fully cooled cupcakes. If desired, top with candy corn.

Notes

Always measure your flour properly. Spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off with a table knife. This assures that the proper amount of flour is in the recipe.
Use canned pumpkin puree or fresh pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, as it has other spices, sugar, and salt already in it.
If you are pushed for time, use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
Always preheat the oven and load the cupcakes on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
Use cupcake liners as they are easy to use, the cupcakes don't stick to the pan, and they peel right off, making for quick consumption.
The cupcakes should be completely cooled before frosting.
If you are going to pipe the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, do not over-mix the cream cheese and butter. Mix just until creamy and smooth. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and pipe over fully cooled cupcakes.
If the frosting is too loose to pipe, cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Because of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator.
Garnish with Candy Corn, Mellowcreme Pumpkins, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
To prepare in advance. Bake the cupcakes and cool completely. Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in a sturdy freezer container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Prepare the frosting and frost the thawed cupcakes.

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