I have the perfect pumpkin treat for you—our recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes. These cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and topped with creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting. With every bite, they capture the warmth of fall. They are perfect for holiday gatherings or a cozy night of Netflix!
First, let’s get into the ingredients. Use this as a shopping list and your guide to gather the ingredients. Don’t be discouraged by the number of ingredients in this list. This recipe is straightforward; if I can do it, you can too!
Ingredients Shopping List
Cupcakes:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pure pumpkin puree
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
Frosting:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
About Pumpkin Pie Spice — You can make it yourself if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice in the pantry. Here is our full recipe.
Here are the ingredients:
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Ground allspice
- Ground cloves
How to Make Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Step 1 — Preheat the oven and prep the muffin tin. We recommend that you line the muffin cups with paper liners.
Step 2 — Mix the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large mixing bowl. Whisk these together until they are thoroughly combined.
Step 3 — Grab a new medium-sized mixing bowl and add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Use a whisk and combine these ingredients until they are smooth.
Quick Tip: If you allow the eggs to come to room temperature before mixing them in, the cupcakes will be fluffier. If you forgot to do this, no problem you can sit them in a bowl of warm water for a couple of minutes.
Step 4 — Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently stir until all ingredients are combined. Do not overmix the ingredients because if you do the cupcakes will not be as fluffy.
The key here is to mix the ingredients until you no longer see dry streaks of flour and everything appears combined. A few lumps are okay and normal.
Step 5 — Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ of the way full. To make sure that the cupcakes cook evenly, evenly distribute the batter in the liners.
Step 6 — Bake the cupcakes. The bake time really does vary depending on the oven. When you put a clean toothpick in the middle of the cupcake and the toothpick comes out clean, they are done. Be careful not to overbake the cupcakes because if you do they will turn out dry.
Step 7 — Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes. After that, transfer them to a cooling rack because they need to be completely cool before you frost them.
Step 8 — Start the frosting. In a medium sized mixing bowl beat the softened butter and cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes. You will know that you are done when the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
Step 9 — Gradually add the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix on low to start to keep the sugar from flying out of the bowl. Once the sugar is starting to mix in, you can increase the speed to medium and mix for about 2 – 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Step 10 — When the cupcakes are completely cooled, you can frost them. You can use a piping bag or go more rustic and frost them with a spatula. Either way, they are gonna be delicious.
Tip: If you want to pipe the frosting but it is too soft for that, just put the frosting the fridge for about 15 minutes and it will stiffen up a bit.
Storage Tips
If you are not serving the cupcakes right away, you can store them, but it is important to store them in the fridge. Put the cupcakes in an airtight container in a single layer and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Fluffy Cream Cheese Icing
These spiced pumpkin cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and topped with a creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting. A perfect fall treat that’s easy to make and sure to impress! The subtle warmth from cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice makes these cupcakes a cozy, flavorful dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Garnish:
- Candy corn, ground cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
- In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cupcakes light and fluffy.
- Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, evenly portion the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. Fill each liner about ¾ full for larger cupcakes (10 cupcakes) or about ⅔ full for a dozen cupcakes.
- Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Start mixing on low speed to prevent the sugar from splattering, then increase to medium-high speed. Beat for an additional 2-3 minutes to make the frosting extra light and airy.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost them generously using a piping bag or by spreading with a spatula. For a festive touch, sprinkle with a pinch of ground cinnamon or top with candy corn.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Notes
Products:
- Muffin tin
- Electric mixer
- Cookie scoop
Note:
- For a slightly sweeter frosting, adjust the powdered sugar to 3 cups.
- You can substitute the spices with 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice plus an additional teaspoon of cinnamon if desired.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.