Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

We’re really leaning into fall with this one guys- pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are one of my ideal desserts. If you’re a fan of pumpkin bread, why not pile it high with a dreamy cream cheese frosting to make something really amazing?

I like to think of recipes that include pumpkin, banana, or zucchini in baking to be fairly fool-proof. Adding in pumpkin gives the cupcakes a perfectly fluffy cakey texture that you pretty much can’t avoid, so it’s a great place to start baking if you’re new to it. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes

The cake batter can be whisked entirely by hand for making the pumpkin cupcakes. We’re starting out by whisking together the dry ingredients including lots of warm spices to bring home that pumpkin spice flavor. Then in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, and oil until it’s combined. It will be a little bit thick.

Then add in the egg and vanilla extract, and then whisk in the pumpkin puree. The mixture should be fairly smooth at this stage.

After that, we’re going to add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Once everything has been mixed in, you should have a thick but fairly smooth cake batter. Then it’s off to the oven to bake.

The cream cheese frosting is fairly simple and the most important thing is to start with room temperature ingredients here. Cream cheese continues to softened as it gets mixed, so you want to only mix until everything is well combined, adding in the cream cheese last.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost however you’d like. I like to use a piping bag with a star tip, but you can do anything you’d like here. That’s it- enjoy your perfect little fall treat from here!

Tips & Tricks for Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Here are my tips and tricks to help you along the way to perfect pumpkin cupcakes:

• Can I use pumpkin pie filling? No, this recipe only works with canned pumpkin puree, not canned filling mix.
• Can I use pumpkin pie spice mix instead of the individual spices? Yes, you can swap in pumpkin spice mix if you’d like here. I’d recommend using 2 tsp. pumpkin spice mix in place of the spices in the recipe.
• Can I mix the cake batter by hand? Yes, this is a super easy batter to whisk by hand.
• How do I know when the cupcakes have finished baking? The cupcakes should have puffed up and should look set. A toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
• Do not over-mix the cream cheese frosting. Some buttercream recipes call for whipping the mixture together for a few minutes, but I don’t recommend it for cream cheese as it continues to soften and thin out as you mix it. You want to add the cream cheese last, and mix until just combined.
• Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. Even if the cupcakes are slightly warm, it will quickly melt the frosting. You want the cupcakes to cool completely first!
• How long will the cupcakes keep? In the fridge, the cupcakes will last for about a week. At room temperature, the cupcakes will last for 4-5 days.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 oz softened cream cheese

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add in the egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3. Slowly add in the flour mixture in alternating additions with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until the batter is smooth. It will be fairly thick. Scoop the batter evenly into your prepared muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.

For the frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and powdered sugar until you have a thick mixture. Add in the salt and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add in the cream cheese and mix through until it’s well combined.
2. Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost and decorate with the cream cheese frosting as desired. Enjoy!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!