When life gives you pumpkins, why not turn them into pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting? So, this holiday season, move on from the traditional pumpkin pie and try out these scrumptious pumpkin spice cupcakes.
The thing I love about cupcakes is that they make for a great snack at any time of the day. They are easy to make and eat. You don’t have to cut an entire cake into slices. Most essentially, when you can whip pumpkin spice cupcakes for Halloween, it only gets better.
Pumpkin spice cupcakes come out hot from the oven in 20 minutes. The batter is made with a few ingredients like flour, pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, sugar, and spices. You can combine the ingredients easily by hand or use an electric mixer.
Then comes your cream cheese frosting. This frosting tastes absolutely divine with its vanilla flavor. Lastly, you can customize these cupcakes according to the occasion. For Halloween, you can make them spooky, and for thanksgiving, you can keep them simple. The end result will truly be delicious!
Equipment You Need To Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Oven – An oven will be required to bake the pumpkin spice cupcakes.
- Spatula – A spatula will help you transfer the batter into cupcake molds.
- Cupcake Baking Tray – A cupcake baking tray will be required to hold the batter in shape.
- Cupcake Liners – Cupcake liners will prevent the batter from sticking to the pan.
- Electric Mixer – Electric Mixer will be helpful in making the cream cheese frosting.
- Piping Bag – You will need a piping bag to pipe the cream cheese frosting on the cupcakes.
How Much Time Will You Need To Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe?
| Preparation Time | Cook Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Minutes | 20 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe?
- Flour – To make pumpkin spice cupcakes, you will need 1 cup of all-purpose flour, which will serve as the base of the cupcakes.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of baking soda will help the cupcakes rise.
- Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice – You will need 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 and ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. If you wish, you can also use pumpkin pie spice made at home.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract – ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract will add flavor.
- Oil – ½ cup oil, instead of butter, will keep the cupcakes moist.
- Eggs – 2 large eggs will help provide a structure and make the pumpkin spice cupcakes moist.
- Sugar – ¾ cup of brown sugar will sweeten these cupcakes.
- Pumpkin – To add the flavor of pumpkin, we will add 1 cup of pumpkin puree to this recipe.
- Cream Cheese – To make the cream cheese frosting, 8 ounces of room-temperature cream cheese will be required.
- Unsalted Butter – ½ cup of unsalted butter will also be in the making of the frosting.
Steps To Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
1. Prepare The Cupcake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Take a large bowl and whisk together baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in flour and set aside.
- Take another bowl and beat oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Now pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix everything together until completely combined.
Tip: Instead of 1/2 cup of oil, you can also try 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 cup of oil. This mixture keeps the cupcake moist and adds a good flavor.
2. Assemble the cupcake and bake
Pour/spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. To avoid spilling, fill the cupcake liners to only 2/3 full. Bake the pumpkin pie spice cupcakes for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you begin to frost them.
3. Prepare The Frosting
Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until they turn smooth and creamy. Now add sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds at a low speed. Switch the mixer to high speed and beat for 2 more minutes. If you desire a thicker frosting, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar.
4. Decorate The Cupcakes
Take your cupcakes and frost them using a piping bag. Now it’s up to you how you want to decorate them. You can use sprinkles, edible eyes, or candies.
How to decorate Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
No dessert or cake is complete without some eye-catching decorations. Therefore, let your mind run free to think of exciting Halloween or Thanksgiving decoration ideas, or use the ones given below.
- Edible Eyes– Edible eyes are a great way to decorate these cupcakes for Halloween.
- Jelly Bean Worms – Jelly bean worms are every child’s delight. Make things spooky by adding them to the frosting.
- Cookies – You can decorate these cupcakes by placing oreo cookies on top of them and adding edible eyes on them.
- Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice Sprinkle – To keep things simple, you can sprinkle some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on the cream cheese frosting.
- Pumpkin Candy – During the Halloween season, supermarkets are filled with pumpkin-shaped candies. You can place one on each cupcake.
How To Store Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
You can make the Pumpkin pie cupcakes one day in advance and keep them covered and stored at room temperature. Moreover, you can also prepare the frosting one day in advance and store it in the refrigerator, covered until ready to use.
To store leftover cupcakes, you can refrigerate them for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 477 Kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 73 mg |
| Sodium | 369 mg |
| Potassium | 82 mg |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 48 g |
| Vitamin A | 581IU |
| Vitamin C | 0.2 mg |
| Calcium | 72 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
How Will Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Look And Taste Like?
Pumpkin spice cupcakes turn out to be soft, moist, and delicious! When you bite into them, you experience pumpkin flavors in the cupcake and a beautiful vanilla flavor in the cream cheese frosting. The pumpkin flavor is well pronounced as we use a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin purée.
You can decorate these cupcakes in many different ways and be sure to have delightful results.
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
For Cupcakes
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 11/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Take a large bowl and whisk together baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice in flour and set aside.
- Take another bowl and beat oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Now pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix everything together until completely combined. Tip: Instead of 1/2 cup of oil you can also try 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1/4 cup oil. This mixture keeps the cupcake moist and adds a good flavor.
- Pour/spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. To avoid spilling, fill the cupcake liners to only 2/3 full. Bake the pumpkin pie spice cupcakes for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before you begin to frost them.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on a high speed until they turn smooth and creamy. Now add sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds on a low speed. Switch the mixer to high speed and beat for 2 more minutes. If you desire a thicker frosting, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar.
- Take your cupcakes and frost them using a piping bag. Now it's up to you how you want to decorate them. You can use sprinkles, edible eyes, or candies.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What spices make pumpkin spice?
Pumpkin spice is usually made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice.
Can I use buttercream frosting for pumpkin spice cupcakes?
You can use buttercream over cream cheese to decorate these cupcakes.
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree?
You can very well use fresh homemade pumpkin puree for the cupcakes, but canned pumpkin for baked desserts like this turn out to be more flavorful.
How do I store leftover pumpkin spice cupcakes?
These cupcakes can stay in the fridge for a week.
