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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the best pumpkin cupcake recipe! These extra moist and fluffy pumpkin cupcakes are flavored with lots of warm fall spices, and are topped with luscious cream cheese frosting.
4.97 from 27 votes
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Decorating Time 10 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
 

For the Cupcakes

  • 1 ¼ cup (140 g) cake flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
  • 5 tablespoon (70 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup (122 g) canned pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
  • 2 ¼ cups (293 g) powdered sugar
  • 1- 1 ½ teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice

Instructions
 

For the Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
    1 ¼ cup (140 g) cake flour, spooned and leveled, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
  • In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated white sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
    5 tablespoon (70 g) unsalted butter, softened, ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
  • Add in the egg and vanilla and mix for 1-2 minutes on medium speed until pale in color and fluffy.
    1 egg, room temperature, ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • Then mix in the canned pumpkin puree on low speed. Set aside.
    ½ cup (122 g) canned pumpkin puree
  • Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk a little at a time to the wet ingredients. Mix until everything is combined.
    ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
  • Fill each cupcake liner ¾ of the way full using a large cookie scoop.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 17-19 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then trasfer them to a cooling rack to completely cool.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • While the cupcakes cool make the frosting. Add the softened, unsalted butter to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until pale in color and fluffy, about five minutes.
    ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • Add in the cold cream cheese and mix on medium speed until combined.
    6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, cold
  • Then sift in the powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing on low speed until it is all combined.
    2 ¼ cups (293 g) powdered sugar
  • Lastly add in the pumpkin pie spice. Mix on high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
    (Add 1 teaspoon in at first, and then the extra ½ teaspoon if you want more spice).
    1- 1 ½ teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
  • Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative piping tip.
    (My favorite tip for cupcakes is my Wilton 1M.)

Frosting the Cupcakes

  • When the cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe a generous amount of frosting onto each cupcake. Then serve!
  • Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Notes

*This recipe uses cake flour for the best cake consistency.
*This recipe calls for canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
*Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Keyword cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, fall recipes, pumpkin, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin recipe
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