The fluffiest, most flavorful pumpkin cupcakes topped with the creamiest cream cheese frosting. I make these every year for Thanksgiving!
This post was originally written and published on September 4, 2014 (my first year of blogging!). I left the post as-is and updated with new photos.
I have literally been waiting all year long to share these cupcakes with you guys!! I make them every fall (a billion times) and I honestly have no idea where the recipe is from because it’s so old! Every year I take them along to Mike’s aunt’s house for Thanksgiving and make them mini size because they’re much easier for the kids to eat that way. Let me tell you.. Everybody always fights over them to the last one, they go so quickly!
The cupcakes are the fluffiest ever and stay so moist for days. Even by the third day they are still great. They are the absolute perfect texture. What makes these cupcakes better than the rest, is that they actually TASTE like pumpkin spice and are really jam packed with so much incredible flavor. A lot of pumpkin desserts really lack flavor and it makes them so dull and unappetizing. But theeeeese little perfect little cupcakes will take you soaring into pumpkin spice heaven.
Top these babies off with a pretty little swirl of my FAVORITE cream cheese frosting ever, the same recipe is used here on my carrot cake, coconut lemon layer cake and these red velvet cupcakes. It’s the creamiest, silkiest, most delicious frosting. I have to stop myself from eating half of the bowl at once!
My Favorite Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients
*Pumpkin Cupcakes*
- 1 ⅔ cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp cloves
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 2 eggs
*Cream Cheese Frosting*
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and spices together and set aside. Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix until smooth. Add eggs and beat until fully combined. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, don’t over mix.
- Fill cupcake liners with an ice cream scoop ¾ high and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in hot pans before transferring to a wire rack to finish.
- While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. Cream together the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth with no lumps remaining, about 2 minutes. Add in vanilla. Turn your mixer on low and pour in your sifted sugar a little bit at a time until smooth. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. If you would like a thinner frosting, thin out with some cream or milk.
- Cupcakes will stay fresh for up to 6 days.
YES!!! I love every part of this recipe! Pumpkin spiced cupcakes with cream cheese frosting - drool!
Thanks Kathleen, they are the best ever!!
Terrific cupcakes!
Pumpkin cupcakes isn't a Belgian heritage, but it's going to be part of my winter menu a lot.
They were absolutely amazing, especially with the frosting.
Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much! I'm so, so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂
Love these!!! I love fall for all of the yummy pumpkin recipes. Can't wait to give these a try.
Do they need to be refrigerated??
Nope!
I made these for a pumpkin-themed party last night and they were an absolute hit. I used a different frosting recipe I had, but the cupcakes themselves were awesome. The taste was great, they cooked evenly, and they came off of the liners seamlessly. Thank you so much for my new favorite cupcake recipe! (I'm sure the frosting is great too) 😉
That's awesome! I'm so happy everyone loved them!! They're my favorite too, I've been trying to make excuses to wait until thanksgiving to make them again but I just might cave! Lol 😉
Better than chocolate cupcakes? Really? That's a strong statement...Going to have to try these to find out!!!
Picture perfect are these cupcakes, I am pinning them too!
These are absolutely drool-worthy!! I'm addicted to pumpkin-spiced goodies these season!!
'Tis the season! These look fab - not dry at all. And topped with that frosting? Yum!
Your Pumpkin cupcakes should be eaten daily because they make everyone very happy! What a wonderful recipe and beautiful pics.
G'day Your pumpkin cupcakes looks delish! Great photos!
Cheers! Joanne
I love everything about these. Cream cheese frosting is my favorite. I could eat a whole bowl all by itself. Yum!
I'm with you on that!
These looks so light! I love cupcakes because it's automatic portion control. Otherwise I may eat my weight in these. 🙂
Agreed! It's so easy to do, especially with these!
How could you resist eating that cream cheese icing right out of the bowl? These cupcakes are so pretty!
Your photo is stunning and I love anything pumpkin spice!
Pumpkin spice and cream cheese frosting is such a great combination!
Those are gorgeous, the texture looks perfect!
Love the updated pictures.
I love pumpkin cupcakes! These are absolutely gorgeous!
Jessica, I love everything pumpkin! I also love that you can pretend that whatever you make with pumpkin is healthy, too 🙂
Hehe 😉
I'll take a whole batch right now please
🙂
Hi~ Would love to try these but not sure how much pumpkin. What size can? Thanks, Michele
sorry! just saw amount! oops!!!
🙂
You will only need to use one cup of pumpkin puree so you can buy the smaller can, I believe it is 15 oz.