This Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe is a must bake during chilly fall days, piled high with a soft and light cream cheese frosting. With 22 minutes baking time, you won't even need a mixer to make these fall Cupcakes!
Try my Pumpkin Cake next! Find all Fall Recipes on Greedy Eats right here!
Okay! As much as I am not over beach days, camping by the lake, smores, sunny desserts and neon orange nail-paint, I can't wait to carve pumpkins and sink my teeth into cream cheese frosting! ⇑ ⇑ ⇑
Cream cheese frosting that sits over homemade pumpkin spice cupcakes. And sitting on the frosting is a cute pumpkin that I carved by myself. So proud! Told ya, can't wait to carve pumpkins. 😉
Cupcakes: Texture and Taste
- MOIST: Oil √ Brown sugar √ Pumpkin √ = Super moist cupcakes
- SOFT AND LIGHT: All thanks to that deliciously gloppy pumpkin puree, eggs and right amount of leaveners.
- FILLED WITH WARM SPICES: Now I love spices in my pumpkin cupcakes to a higher side. You will still taste pumpkin, promise! Try adding large pinch of black pepper and some cardamom in the pumpkin batter. And you will have this fall classic redefined.
- SILKY AND SMOOTH FROSTING: Using four basic ingredients leads to a soft, silky and absolutely pipeable cream cheese frosting. Adding maple extract would be so good here, but it also makes the frosting a little thin. It will still hold some shape though! Or you can just top a dollop of maple cream cheese frosting on the cupcake and swirl it with the back of a spoon. Lovely rustic finish!
Loved how roly-poly these turned out! Though I have to admit, it was such a time consuming task. Specially, those small curly greens on pumpkin top. But looks like the prettiest thing on earth and tasted absurdly delicious!
Cupcakes Ingredients:
- Flour: We are using All Purpose Flour as the base of this recipe.
- Spices: A combination of cinnamon, pumpkin spice and a hint of cloves and black pepper works best here. You can skip adding cloves and pepper if you prefer the cupcakes to be less spicy.
- Leaveners: You will require both baking soda and baking powder here.
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: I am a fan of Libby's Pumpkin Puree for baking pumpkin desserts. This is not a sponsored post, I just like it a lot!
- Egg: For structure and lift in the cupcakes.
- Oil: Oil makes moist cupcakes that stay moist for days!
- Sugar: Adding a mix of both brown sugar and granulated sugar yields best textured cupcakes.
How do you make pumpkin spice cupcakes from scratch?
So how do you make homemade pumpkin cupcakes from scratch? Well these are the easiest homemade cupcakes that you will ever make.
One bowl to make the cupcake batter. No mixers required! All you will do is-
- Mix all wet ingredients together with a hand whisk
- Sift dry ingredients over wet
- fold till flour disappears into the batter
- Pour in liners and bake. Can't get any easier!
How to make Cream Cheese Frosting:
This recipe yields around 2 ½ to 3 cups of frosting. It is so creamy and just the right amount of sweet. To make it-
- Beat butter, cream cheese (both at room temp) and vanilla until well combined.
- Then add sugar, 2 cups at a time and continue to beat until desired consistency is obtained.
I baked 12 cupcakes. Pranay and I polished them off in two flat days. If I had made 24, pumpkin swear, they wouldn't have lasted any longer!
They are this G-O-O-D!
How many calories are in a pumpkin spice cupcake?
This cupcake with frosting has 439 Calories. Though this calculation is just an estimate. Accuracy of this calculation is not guaranteed.
Do I have to refrigerate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting?
Yes, if you are not serving them in a matter of 1 hour or so after frosting. Keep Cupcakes in fridge until ready to serve and take them out about ½ - 1 hour before serving to allow them to come to room temp.
Skip lighting cinnamon flavored candles, those fall hayrides, Jack-o'-lantern but don't miss out on these easy pumpkin cupcakes recipe this season. And if you have any leftovers convert them into Pumpkin Cake Balls!
More Fall Desserts:
Tall and Moist Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Follow me on Instagram for more such drool-worthy dessert recipes! And tag #Greedyeatsblog if you make these cupcakes. Seeing your creations, makes my day! Also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook Page!
Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1⅓ Cup (166 gms) All purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Pumpkin Spice
- ¾ Cup Pumpkin puree
- ½ Cup Brown sugar
- ½ Cup Granulated sugar
- ½ Cup Flavorless oil
- 2 Large Eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Cream cheese frosting:
- ½ Cup Unsalted butter
- 8 oz Full Fat Cream cheese (Room temperature, not cream cheese spread)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 4 Cups Confectioners' sugar
- Pinch Salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 deg F and line a Cupcake pan with 12 paper liners. Set aside.
- Whisk together egg, pumpkin puree, oil, vanilla and both the sugars in a medium bowl. Combine them all really well.
- Sift all the dry ingredients-flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices over wet ingredients and gently fold to combine with a spatula. Do not over-mix.
- Pour batter in the pre-prepared liners and bake for about 20-22 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
For cream cheese frosting:
- Beat butter until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes using an hand/stand mixer. Add cream cheese and vanilla. Continue to beat for another 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and keep beating till a smooth frosting like consistency is reached. Add salt and mix it in.. Frost on completely cooled cupcakes (I used Ateco #827 tip) as desired.
Notes
- Frosted cupcakes stay good for up to a day at room temperature. For a longer storage, keep them in refrigerator. They will last for 3-4 days there.
- Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator or on the counter before frosting.
You had me at pumpkin cupcakes! That cream cheese frosting must make this recipe extra special! Thanks for sharing, Neha!
I am so excited for everything pumpkin and these cupcakes look amazing.
These pumpkin cupcakes are a delicate reminder of the upcoming fall. They look incredibly delicious! I love the frosting, it is my favorite. Thanks for sharing.
These pumpkin cupcakes look so delicious! Perfect for upcoming Fall ♥
Love the combination of Pumpkin cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. Awesome.
Oh wow! These are amazing - and that frosting.. it is next level good and perfect with the delicious pumpkin flavour 🙂
Oh wow! These are amazing - and that frosting.. it is next level good and perfect with the delicious pumpkin flavour 🙂
Doesn't everybody love cupcakes?
We're not really good at eating cakes in my house.
But put a plate of cupcakes on the table and they're gone in a flash!
Pumpkin is the flavor of the season ... bring them on!
I know it's still Summer but I'm already in the mood for fall and all the great flavors that go with it 🙂
The shape is so perfect - as if the cupcakes were drawn in 3d lol. I would certainly make a big box of these and take to my friends' house for a p-a-r-t-y!
These pumpkin cupcakes look perfectly moist! That cream cheese frosting is heavenly!
My kids really loved it! So good!
I like pumpkin cupcakes. I make it often at my home. Yummy cream cheese frosting!
Thank you so much for doing the work to figure out a half batch. Sometimes I just need a little sweet treat. These look perfect!
These were so moist! Loved the cream cheese frosting with it too.
Loving pumpkin everything these days! These cupcakes look delicious Neha! And the frosting looks so fluffy! Love it!
Where in the heck do you get a blend of cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper, and ginger? I've never seen anything like that in my life!!
It's my homemade mix Donna! And I suggest you try blending these all together. Your pumpkin goodies will thank you! 😉
Ohhh the frosting looks so heavenly! I just want to reach out and grab one!
Looks so spongy and awesome, love the frosting as well!