Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These delicious pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are tender and perfectly spiced! You’ll love each bite of these soft, moist cupcakes paired with a maple cream cheese buttercream.

Pumpkin spice season is finally here, and I can’t wait to start baking some of my favorite things from my 25 Best Pumpkin Recipes for Fall! But truth be told, I have been eating pumpkin-spiced things for weeks now–like these pumpkin donuts. I’m excited to share this amazing recipe for pumpkin cupcakes with you!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Pumpkin Puree: I highly recommend using a good-quality canned pumpkin, like Libby’s, for the best texture. Be sure that you’re using real pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, as that already has spices and sugar mixed in.
• Pumpkin Spice: Adding the perfect amount of pumpkin spice mix makes this dessert taste like the best pumpkin pie in cupcake form! If you don’t want to use my spice mix recipe, then use these amounts of spices instead: 2 teaspoons cinnamon (slightly rounded), ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon mace, and ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
• Buttermilk: This tangy liquid reacts with the baking powder to make the cupcakes ultra-tender and moist. Make your own by mixing 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Use any extra buttermilk in your fridge by making my buttermilk pie or buttermilk biscuits.
• Cream Cheese Frosting: Whip up a luscious batch of the best cream cheese frosting, like I use on my carrot cake cupcakes, and then add a touch of cinnamon and maple. You could also use my American buttercream recipe as a base for the cinnamon and maple. 
• Maple Syrup: A hint of real maple syrup in the cream cheese frosting (like I do in my maple frosting recipe) adds a wonderful subtle sweetness and flavor to the frosting that pairs perfectly with pumpkin.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations for Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

• Stuffed cupcakes: Prepare the cream cheese filling from my pumpkin cream cheese muffins recipe then fill the cupcake liners half full with the batter, then place a small spoonful of the cream cheese filling in the center. Fill the liners with the rest of the batter to cover the frosting, then bake. You could also fill the baked cupcakes with apple compote like my caramel apple cupcakes or salted caramel sauce. 
• Use a different frosting. Try the cinnamon cream cheese frosting from my pumpkin cake recipe, this silky maple frosting recipe, or even marshmallow frosting like my sweet potato cupcake recipe.
• Gluten free variation: Use your favorite measure-for-measure gluten free flour alternative in this recipe, and ensure your other ingredients are gluten free.
• Dairy free variation: Use your favorite dairy-free/vegan butter alternative, or use solid coconut oil. To make dairy-free buttermilk, combine 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of non-dairy milk and let it stand for 5-10 minutes before using. Use dairy-free/vegan butter and cream cheese in the frosting.

Preparing the Cupcakes

Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the sugars and butter together with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Stir in the vanilla after all the eggs are added, then stir in the pumpkin purée.

Step 4: Add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Alternatively add some of the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the egg and butter mixture, stirring well in between each addition. Be sure to fold the last flour addition in by hand to prevent over-mixing.

Step 5: Scoop and bake. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners, then bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (Mine took 18 minutes.)

Step 6: Cool on a wire rack. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely.

Decorating the Cupcakes

Step 7: Make the frosting. Make a batch of the best cream cheese frosting, then stir in the maple syrup and cinnamon. If you’re not using it right away, cover and refrigerate; otherwise, spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.

Step 8: Decorate the cupcakes. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this fall cupcake recipe. Check out our other delicious pumpkin dessert recipes or peruse just cupcake recipes! Or go in a chocolate direction with my thick chocolate chip cookies!