I don’t say this lightly, but these are truly THE BEST pumpkin cupcakes I’ve ever had. They are so perfectly moist with the most amazing spiced pumpkin flavor and I love how easy the batter is to whisk up by hand. Topping them with spiced cream cheese buttercream really enhances the pumpkin spice flavor and makes them absolutely irresistible. I cannot wait for you to try these cupcakes so you can feel how I feel about them!
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Quick and easy. No need for a mixer with this recipe! You’ll simply mix up the dry ingredients, mix up the wet ingredients, then whisk them together.
- Perfect spiced pumpkin flavor. There are four warming spices in these cupcakes that help enhance the pumpkin flavor beautifully – cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. The spice level is perfection.
- They stay moist for days. Because of the oil and pumpkin in this recipe, the resulting cupcakes are deliciously moist and stay that way for days!
- Spiced cream cheese frosting. Need I say more? Adding a little cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting helps amplify all the spiced flavor in this cupcake. It’s SO GOOD! And the perfect consistency for piping.
Pumpkin Cupcake Ingredients & Substitutions
These pumpkin cupcakes use simple ingredients you should be able to find locally. Here are the key ingredients and suggestions for substitutions should you need them:
- All-purpose flour. Also known as plain flour, all-purpose flour gives these cupcakes the perfect structure.
- Baking soda + baking powder. The leavening agents used to help these cupcakes rise in the baking process.
- Spices. The warming spices really enhance the pumpkin flavor in these cupcakes! I use cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger here, but you can feel free to experiment with other warming spices or use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice as a substitute for the four spices listed in this recipe.
- Vegetable oil. The oil in this recipe makes these cupcakes super moist. I use plain vegetable oil but any oil that you prefer for baking (canola, avocado, etc) will work just fine.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar. Both of these sugars help sweeten the cupcakes and soften the crumb, but the brown sugar adds extra moisture.
- Pumpkin puree. The star of the show. Canned pumpkin puree is what gives these cupcakes their pumpkin flavor. Be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Eggs. A few large eggs bind all of the ingredients together and provide plenty of structure in the baking process. I haven’t yet tested an egg-free pumpkin cake recipe but if I find a good substitute for them I’ll report back.
- Pure vanilla extract. A little vanilla rounds out the flavors beautifully.
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
These pumpkin cupcakes couldn’t be easier to whip up. You’ll need two bowls (one medium and one large) and a whisk. The spiced cream cheese buttercream does require a hand mixer or stand mixer, but I promise it’s easy too. Here’s how to make these pumpkin cupcakes from start to finish:
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a standard cupcake pan with 14-16 liners.
Step 2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
Step 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients: the sugars, oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla.
Step 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until uniform.
Step 5. Pour or scoop the pumpkin cupcake batter into the cupcake liners no more than ⅔ full and bake for 14-18 minutes.
Step 5. When the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, make the spiced cream cheese frosting and top each cupcake with a swirl of it. I used Wilton Tip 1M for this.
Step 6. Add a mini pumpkin candy! This part is optional, but so cute.
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe FAQs
- Can I bake this recipe as a sheet cake or layer cake? A double batch of this recipe makes an amazing sheet cake! Bake it in a 9×13 baking pan at 325ºF for 30-35 minutes. As far as layer cakes, I recommend this pumpkin layer cake recipe that’s highly rated and well tested.
- How many cupcakes does this recipe make? You’ll get 14-16 cupcakes out of this recipe.
- Can I pair these with regular cream cheese frosting instead of spiced? Simply leave out the cinnamon and you’ll have a classic cream cheese frosting recipe.
- What kind of cupcake liners and pan do you use? I use these simple standard cupcake liners and this cupcake pan by Caraway, but any standard cupcake pan or liner will do.
- What if I can’t find brick-style cream cheese? It’s really important to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in the frosting recipe because other kinds of cream cheese (low fat or the spreadable kind in tubs) contain too much water to create a stable frosting. If you can’t find brick-style cream cheese, I recommend topping these cupcakes with another kind of frosting like brown butter frosting, Biscoff buttercream, or the cinnamon-vanilla buttercream from this apple crisp cake recipe.
- What if my spiced cream cheese frosting seems too soft? If you make the spiced cream cheese frosting and find that it’s not thick enough for your liking or your kitchen environment is super warm, pop the frosting in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to let the butter solidify a bit. Then, re-mix it on low speed with your stand mixer to make it smooth and uniform. The trip to the refrigerator will thicken the entire buttercream to a workable consistency.
I hope you love these pumpkin cupcakes as much as I do! Let me know if you make them in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 Cup (165g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 Cup (100g) packed brown sugar light or dark
- 1/2 Cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 Cup (189g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 Cups (480g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 Cup (8oz, 226g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese*, room temperature NOT the spread
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a cupcake pan with 14-16 liners.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the brown and granulated sugars, vegetable oil, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until combined and uniform, then whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until smooth.
- Pour or scoop the batter into the cupcake liners (no more than 2/3 full) and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, add the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about five minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the cinnamon-powdered sugar mixture a few cups at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt, then mix on low until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds.
Assembly
- Once the pumpkin cupcakes are cooled completely to room temperature, top each one with a swirl of spiced cream cheese frosting. I used Wilton Tip 1M for the look pictured and garnished with mini pumpkin candies.
Notes
- The pumpkin cupcakes can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered or in an airtight container, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
- The spiced cream cheese frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
- The frosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in a cool kitchen for up to one day, after which they should be refrigerated due to the cream cheese in the frosting.
are there supposed to be eggs in this? The directions say so but the recipe leaves them out.
Hi LJ! Yes, 2 large eggs are in the ingredients list (second ingredient from the bottom). Enjoy!