Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
Extra moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with irresistible spiced cream cheese frosting. Truly the BEST pumpkin cupcakes I've ever had!
Servings 15 cupcakes
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
*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.
Make Ahead Tips:
- 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.