Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Recipe
Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner and these moist Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting make the best holiday dessert!
These fun and festive cupcakes are made with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice along with cinnamon and cloves for the perfect blend of fall flavors!
Talk about moist, cupcakes just don't get any softer or fluffier than these! They will literally melt in your mouth with each bite (just like my homemade chocolate cupcakes)!
These pumpkin cupcakes are topped with an easy, homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting that only takes 5 minutes to make! Plus, it's so deliciously tasty that you will want to lick the spoon and bowl completely clean when you're done - it's that good!
Two years ago, I entered these pumpkin cupcakes in a local baking contest and they won first place! This is my favorite cupcake recipe - I could eat them all year long!
If you're looking for more delicious holiday recipes, be sure to also check out my Homemade Pumpkin Pie, Juicy Baked Turkey, Easy Halloween Cupcakes, Southern Chicken and Dressing, and Cute Halloween Cupcakes for Kids!
What You'll Need
This pumpkin cupcake recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. (For measurements, please scroll down to the recipe card below.)
- Flour: All-purpose flour is used to help the cupcakes hold their shape. No other type of flour is recommended for this recipe.
- Pumpkin: A whole 15-ounce can of 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree is used in this recipe. (Make sure you don't confuse it with a can of Pumpkin Pie Filling. They are right beside each other on the same aisle at the grocery store and look very similar.)
- Sugar: Both granulated and light brown sugar give these pumpkin cupcakes a deep, rich sweetness.
- Eggs: For structure and rise.
- Cinnamon Applesauce: Adds moisture and flavor.
- Oil: You can use either canola oil or vegetable oil for this recipe. They both add moisture without altering the other flavors.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Help the cupcakes rise and give them a light and fluffy texture.
- Seasonings and Spices: Pumpkin pie spice, cloves, salt, and vanilla extract all add a rich and delicious fall flavor that's perfect for this holiday treat!
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: A creamy and delicious frosting that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin and spices in these cupcakes. Can be both piped and spread.
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
Here are the steps and process images for how to make this recipe. (More detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.)
To start, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Sift all dry cupcake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, add all wet cupcake ingredients and whisk together until completely combined and smooth.
Mix the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture until just combined (don't overmix!).
Place one cupcake liner into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan. Fill each liner ⅔ full of cupcake batter.
Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a center cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
How to Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place softened cream cheese and butter into a large mixing bowl. Using either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric handheld mixer, cream them together on medium-high until smooth, creamy, and lump-free (about 2 minutes).
- Mix in cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
- On low speed, slowly mix in sifted powdered sugar until completely combined. Then, turn the mixer on medium-high and mix for 2 more minutes.
How to Fill Cupcakes with Frosting
This step is completely optional but does add lots of flavor to your pumpkin cupcakes and an unexpected surprise inside. Make sure the cupcakes have cooled completely before filling them.
- Spoon about ¾ cup of frosting into a piping bag fitted with a filling tip.
- Insert the filling tip into the center of the top of a cupcake, about â…“ deep.
- Slowly squeeze the piping bag until the cupcake starts to slightly swell (about 2 teaspoons of frosting per cupcake). Don't overfill or the cupcake will split.
How to Frost Pumpkin Cupcakes
Add frosting to the tops of the cooled cupcakes any way you'd like. I prefer to use a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip (large star tip) or a 2A tip (large round tip).
Starting from the center of the top of the cupcake. Slowly squeeze your piping bag and pipe a line of frosting to the outside edge of the cupcake, continuing along the outside edge and moving inward in a circular motion until back to the center.
Stop squeezing the bag and pull it up off the cupcake. Now you should have a perfect frosting swirl on top of your cupcake.
Pumpkin Cupcake Decorations
Decorating is the best part! Have fun with this step and let the kids or grandkids help out. Whether you color the frosting orange or place pumpkin candies and fall-colored sprinkles on top, the possibilities are endless. Just have fun and make them look festive.
Storage Information
Since the frosting contains cream cheese, the prepared cupcakes will need to be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Other Recipes You'll Love!
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
- Ambrosia Salad
- Easy Halloween Cupcakes
- Southern Chicken and Dressing
- Juicy Baked Turkey
- Cute Halloween Cupcakes for Kids
- Moist Blueberry Muffins
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Gingerbread Man Cookies
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, YOUTUBE, and INSTAGRAM for more delicious, down-home recipes!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Cupcake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup cinnamon applesauce
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Baking Cupcakes
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- 12 ounces full-fat block cream cheese (softened; if not completely softened there will be lumps in your frosting)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar (sifted)
Instructions
Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Sift all dry cupcake ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add all wet cupcake ingredients and whisk together until completely combined and smooth.
- Mix the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient mixture until just combined (don't overmix!).
- Place one cupcake liner into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan. Fill each liner ⅔ full of cupcake batter.
- Bake at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a center cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place softened cream cheese and butter into a large mixing bowl. Using either a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric handheld mixer, cream them together on medium-high until smooth, creamy, and lump-free (about 2 minutes).
- Mix in cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
- On low speed, slowly mix in sifted powdered sugar until completely combined. Then, turn mixer on medium-high and mix for 2 more minutes.
Frost Cupcakes
- Optional: Once cupcakes are completely cooled, you can fill the centers of each cupcake with frosting by using a piping bag fitted with a filling tip.
- Add frosting to the tops of the cooled cupcakes anyway you'd like. I prefer to use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- Decorate the cupcakes with small pumpkin candies and sprinkles.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
STORAGE
Since the frosting contains cream cheese, the prepared cupcakes will need to be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.Nutrition
*Nutritional facts are calculated by third party sources and are not always accurate. If you are on a special diet, we highly recommend you calculate these values personally.
FAQ About This Recipe:
Cupcake recipes usually call for some sort of fat (such as butter or oil) or a fat alternative (such as applesauce) in order for the cupcakes to be moist, soft, and fluffy. In this recipe, both oil and applesauce are used to add moisture and flavor at the same time.
No, it will make the cupcakes too sweet and the flavor too strong. This recipe calls for 100% Pure Pumpkin Puree. Make sure you don't confuse it with a can of Pumpkin Pie Filling. They are right beside each other on the same aisle at the grocery store and look very similar.
Cream cheese frosting will form a thin crust on the outside layer after it sets. This helps the piping work hold it's shape better. If you need it to set faster, place cupcakes in the refrigerator to make them easier to handle.
Yes. Since cream cheese is perishable, all baked goods with cream cheese frosting should be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure you allow the frosting to softened at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before serving.
Sara
These look sooooo good! I can’t wait to make them with my kids! They will have so much fun decorating them!
Ranch Style Kitchen
Thank you so much! They will have so much fun! Please let me know how they turn out!
Nisia
Made these last weekend for my husband’s coworkers and they were a huge hit. Going to add some raisins and make the batter into a cake to use up the remaining icing. Such a wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Ranch Style Kitchen
Thank you! I’m so glad y’all liked them! I’ve always wanted to add raisins to this recipe so please let me know how it turns out. I have used this recipe for a cake before and it turned out really good so hopefully it’ll turn out good for you too. Thank you so much for the review!
Nisia
The raisins were a great touch of sweetness. I highly recommend them. Another huge hit. The cake was 5 minutes over-baked but still very much delish and a hit. Thanks again.
Ranch Style Kitchen
That's awesome! I'm going to have to try that now. I'm so glad y'all liked it and thank you for the review!
Kerri
Love these cupcakes! I subscribed to your newsletter. Will be looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Ranch Style Kitchen
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked them!