Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are moist, homemade pumpkin spice cupcakes that are topped with rich and creamy cream cheese frosting for the perfect fall dessert. Ready in less than 40 minutes, they’re simple enough for weeknights but special enough for holidays.
Pumpkin and warm fall spices are a match made in baking heaven, and these cupcakes bring all those cozy fall flavors together in a simple, from-scratch cupcake recipe. The cupcakes bake up moist and tender, with just the right amount of pumpkin spice flavor in every bite.
Topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting, they strike the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. Best of all, you can have a batch ready in less than 40 minutes, which makes these cupcakes as easy as they are delicious.
Whether you’re baking for a fall party, Thanksgiving dessert, or just a weeknight treat, these pumpkin cupcakes are guaranteed to be a hit.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: You can substitute an equal amount of salted butter and reduce the salt in the cake to 1/4 teaspoon and omit the salt in the frosting.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can make homemade pumpkin pie spice blend with this recipe.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the richest, fluffiest frosting.
How to make pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 18 cupcake liners.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Step 4: Add pumpkin and vanilla, mixing until combined.
Step 5: In a large bowl, add flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 6: Add half the flour to the butter mixture, alternating between flour and milk. Mix in just combined. You don’t want to overmix while adding the flour mixture. Overmixing will give you heavy cupcakes.
Step 7: Divide batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
Step 8: Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 9: Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes before removing and placing cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. It’s important that the cupcakes be completely cool before frosting.
Step 10: Once cupcakes have cooled, make the frosting: Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat for at least 2 minutes.
Step 11: Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk again to combine.
Step 12: While beating, pour in the heavy cream. Beat until everything is combined, light, and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Step 13: Frost the cupcakes by piping frosting on top. Decorate with mini pumpkins or however you see fit.
Recipe Tips!
- Freezing: The baked and cooled cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer-safe container and frozen for up to 1 month. Let the cupcakes thaw before frosting.
- Frosting: You can change up the flavor of the frosting by using vanilla bean paste in place of the extract or by adding a little pumpkin spice blend or ground cinnamon to the frosting.
Storage
Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cupcakes will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More pumpkin cake recipes!
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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk at room temperature
Cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Pumpkin shaped candy corn for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 18 cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.3 large eggs
- Add pumpkin and vanilla, mixing until combined.1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a large bowl, add flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.2 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add half the flour to the butter mixture, alternating between flour and milk. Mix in just combined.⅔ cup whole milk
- Divide batter evenly between the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes before removing and placing cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cupcakes have cooled, make the frosting: Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat for at least 2 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, 8 ounces cream cheese
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk again to combine.6 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- While beating, pour in the heavy cream. Beat until everything is combined, light, and fluffy, about 2 minutes.1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Frost the cupcakes by piping frosting on top. Decorate with mini pumpkins or however you see fit.
Notes
- Butter: You can substitute an equal amount of salted butter and reduce the salt in the cake to 1/4 teaspoon and omit the salt in the frosting.
- Pumpkin: Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- Pumpkin pie spice: You can make homemade pumpkin pie spice blend with this recipe.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the richest, fluffiest frosting.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Pb says
These are a keeper!!
Kate Dean says
Thank you!