These pumpkin spice cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting are soft and fluffy with cozy pumpkin flavor and warming spices in every bite. The cupcakes are deliciously moist while the cream cheese frosting adds the perfect tang. They're a must-make for Fall!
It's pumpkin spice season, and I can't think of a better dessert to make for it than these pumpkin spice cupcakes! These cupcakes are bursting with Fall flavors like pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other warming spices.
I always recommend pairing cream cheese with pumpkin, but the pumpkin cream cheese frosting on top of these cupcakes adds even more pumpkin flavor!
For more pumpkin recipes, make pumpkin bread with streusel, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, brown butter pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin pecan cheesecake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Moist pumpkin cupcakes- The pumpkin cake is soft and tender from creaming butter with sugar until light and fluffy. The moisture comes from buttermilk, sour cream, and pure pumpkin puree.
- Tangy cream cheese frosting- The frosting from my pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting would be delicious, but pumpkin cream cheese frosting really makes these cupcakes scream Fall.
- Easy to make- Like my pumpkin coffee cake, these cupcakes are easy to make with basic baking equipment and simple ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now. You can whip up a batch in 30 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter- Butter gives cupcakes rich flavor and structure when creamed with sugar. Use room temperature butter that is soft and easy to indent with your finger. Make sure it's unsalted so you have control over the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Granulated sugar- White sugar sweetens the cupcakes and contributes to a tender crumb. Don't reduce the sugar or the texture will be dense.
- Eggs- 2 large eggs bind the ingredients together. Bring all your refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before using them so they mix evenly.
- Buttermilk- The acid in buttermilk cuts the gluten strands, making the cupcakes super soft!
- Sour cream- This makes the crumb super tender and adds richness. Full-fat sour cream is best, but any kind works.
- Pumpkin puree- Use canned pumpkin puree that's 100% pure pumpkin. Avoid pumpkin pie filling, as it has added sweeteners and spices. I don't suggest using homemade pumpkin puree since it's usually watery.
- All purpose flour- Makes up the structure of the cupcakes. It's easy to overmeasure flour with a measuring cup since it's compacted, so I highly recommend weighing it in grams with a kitchen scale for the best results.
- Baking powder and baking soda- These leavening agents help the pumpkin cupcakes rise. Always check the expiration dates before using them.
- Pumpkin pie spice- This is a mixture of warm spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. You can find pre-made pumpkin spice mix at most grocery stores or make your own.
- Cream cheese- Use a brick of full-fat cream cheese. It has the best creamy flavor and consistency! Low-fat cream cheese or cream cheese spread in a tub will make the frosting runny.
- Powdered sugar- Sweetens and thickens the frosting. Confectioners' sugar has a little cornstarch in it to prevent clumping, so you don't need to sift it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Buttermilk substitute- Plain kefir is the best substitute for buttermilk. You can also make homemade "buttermilk" but combining ยฝ cup buttermilk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let it curdle for 10 minutes and it's ready to use.
- Sour cream substitute- Plain Greek yogurt has the same creamy texture and tang as sour cream, so it makes a great 1-to-1 substitute.
- Add nuts- Chopped pecans or walnuts go great with pumpkin. Add 1 cup to the cupcake batter before baking.
- Add a filling- Cut out the center of the cupcakes and add a filling like salted caramel sauce or white chocolate ganache.
- Use different frosting- Pumpkin spice cupcakes would be delicious decorated with salted caramel buttercream, cinnamon cream cheese frosting from this chai layer cake, brown butter cream cheese frosting, or maple buttercream.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Then cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl on high speed until fluffy.
Step 2: Turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Beat until combined after each one, then mix in the buttermilk and sour cream.
Step 3: Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix until combined. It's ok if the batter looks lumpy or curdled.
Step 4: Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice into the wet ingredients on low speed until just combined.
Step 5: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop or spoon, filling each โ full so they don't overflow.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few sticky crumbs attached.
Step 6: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the hot pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7: As the cupcakes cool, make the pumpkin cream cheese frosting. Add softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer or stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until well combined and creamy.
Step 8: Slowly mix in the powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until combined. Pulse the mixer at first so sugar doesn't fly out of the bowl.
Step 9: Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, and pumpkin spice on low. Increase the speed to medium-high, beating until the frosting is fluffy.
Step 10: Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip (I used the Wilton 1M). Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake or spread it on with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk combine more smoothly. This helps create light, fluffy cupcakes. Cold ingredients can lead to uneven mixing, denser cupcakes, and lumpy frosting.
- Don't overmix the batter. Mixing the batter too much can overwork the flour and cause too much gluten to form, which makes the cupcakes tough and chewy. For soft, tender cupcakes, mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Watch the bake time. Cupcakes can go from perfectly baked to overdone quickly, so keep an eye on them. Start checking a few minutes before the recommended bake time so they stay moist. I also recommend getting an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is at the right temperature so the bake time is accurate.
Storage and Freezing
Store unfrosted pumpkin spice cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If they have cream cheese frosting on them, store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Let them warm up on the counter for about an hour before serving.
Freezing
I suggest freezing the cupcakes without the frosting because frosting can get watery and make the cupcakes soggy once thawed.
Place the cupcakes on a baking tray and freeze for 1-2 hours until firm, then move them to a freezer-safe sealed container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, leave them in the fridge overnight, then let them sit at room temperature for about an hour before decorating and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! Bake the batter in 2 8-inch round pans at 350F. Start checking for doneness around the 20 minute mark. The top of the cake should spring back to the touch and a butter knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
Yes! Fill a mini cupcake pan with liners, then fill them halfway with batter. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) for 10-12 minutes.
Use 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour instead of all purpose flour. My favorite is Bob's Red Mill. Don't use almond flour, oat flour, or any other kind of alternative flour because they don't function the same as all purpose flour and will ruin the cupcakes.
More Fall Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
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Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 114 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 100 grams buttermilk room temperature
- 60 grams sour cream room temperature
- 120 grams pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
- 113 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 226 grams cream cheese room temperature
- 480 grams powdered sugar
- 60 grams pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line a cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl on high speed until fluffy.114 grams unsalted butter, 200 grams granulated sugar
- Turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time. Beat until combined after each, then mix in the buttermilk and sour cream.2 large eggs, 100 grams buttermilk, 60 grams sour cream
- Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla and mix until combined. It's ok if the batter looks curdled.120 grams pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix on low speed until just combined with no dry streaks of flour remaining.240 grams all purpose flour, ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยฝ teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop, filling each cup โ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few sticky crumbs.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let cool in the hot pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy.113 grams unsalted butter, 226 grams cream cheese
- Slowly mix in the powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until combined. Pulse the mixer at first so the sugar doesn't fly out of the bowl.480 grams powdered sugar
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, and pumpkin spice on low. Increase the speed to medium-high, beating until the frosting is fluffy.60 grams pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting on top of each cupcake or spread it on with an offset spatula.
- Garnish with star anise or a cinnamon stick and enjoy!
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