Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
A delicious fall cupcake recipe for pumpkin lovers, these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are tender and flavorful with a luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting on top. It’s like a PSL in a cupcake!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Recipe
This is it! My final pumpkin recipe of the season.
Every fall, my daughter begs me to make pumpkin dessert after pumpkin dessert – and she can never get enough! I knew I had to make my final pumpkin recipe something really special and these pumpkin spice cupcakes fit the bill perfectly.
A tender, lightly spiced cupcake with real pumpkin baked in, topped with a luscious vanilla cream cheese buttercream. And yes, you read that right – a vanilla cream cheese buttercream. This frosting has the tang of cream cheese in a light, sweet buttercream frosting. That way, you can make a generous swirl of frosting on top of your cupcakes without the cream cheese being too overpowering or heavy.
These cupcakes are easy enough to make for playdates or a casual hang-out with friends, but special enough to serve at a party or even Thanksgiving (for all of those family members who aren’t big on pie).
If you want to use a doctored cake mix to make these pumpkin spice cupcakes, combine a vanilla or yellow boxed cake mix with a 15oz can of pumpkin puree, along with the ingredients called for on the box. Add a dash of cinnamon and pumpkin spice and bake for 18-22 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Can these cupcakes be frozen? Yes, you can freeze the unfrosted cupcakes by placing in an airtight freezer bag or your favorite freezer containers. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.) Personally, I’m not a fan of freezing frosting as it can change the texture or become somewhat separated once thawed.
More Delicious Pumpkin Desserts
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Delight from Lil’ Luna
- Magic Pumpkin Cake
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie in a Jar from Life Love and Sugar
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Bars from Dinner at the Zoo
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts with Vanilla Glaze
Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree
- Brown Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin Pie Spice <– grab our recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Butter, softened at room temperature
- Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
- Vanilla Extract, to taste
- Powdered Icing Sugar, to personal preference
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: to make this recipe using a cake mix, combine a vanilla or yellow boxed cake mix with a 15oz can of pumpkin puree, along with the ingredients called for on the box. Add a dash of cinnamon and pumpkin spice and bake for 18-22 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Cupcake pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Piping bag with large star tip <– a basic piping set will have all you need
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350F
Line a muffin tray with paper or silicone muffin liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar and vegetable oil, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs until combined.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice until fully combined.
Beat the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
Use a cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter evenly amongst the muffin liners.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until well browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before attempting to frost.
In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until completely combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Start off by adding 4 cups of powdered icing sugar, beat well, then add additional as needed.
Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and scoop the cream cheese frosting into the piping bag.
Swirl the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes – starting in the centre and working your way to the edges, then back up the centre, creating a dome effect.
Pin this Easy Pumpkin Cupcake recipe for your next pumpkin dessert craving:
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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
A delicious and easy pumpkin spice cupcake recipe using real pumpkin and topped with a luscious vanilla cream cheese buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste
- 4-6 cups powdered icing sugar, to personal preference
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Line a muffin tray with paper or silicone muffin liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar and vegetable oil, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the vanilla extract and eggs until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice until fully combined.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter evenly amongst the muffin liners.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, until well browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before attempting to frost.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until completely combined. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Start off by adding 4 cups of powdered icing sugar, beat well, then add additional as needed.
- Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and scoop the cream cheese frosting into the piping bag.
- Swirl the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes - starting in the centre and working your way to the edges, then back up the centre, creating a dome effect.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
11Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 781Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 505mgCarbohydrates: 264gFiber: 1gSugar: 249gProtein: 4g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope the pumpkin dessert fans in your home love these easy pumpkin cupcakes as much as my daughter does!
For more delicious fall cupcakes, check out our Easy Turkey Cupcakes or our Apple Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream.
