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Platter of Pumpkin Cupcakes, frosted with cream cheese frosting and decorative piping.
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5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

These delicious Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are so moist and flavorful. They have the perfect balance of pumpkin and warm spices, along with cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Melissa and Bebe

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter (softened. Soft enough to easily dent when pressed but still hold shape.)
  • 2 ½ cups (500g) sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature (if in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes)
  • 2 ½ cup (302g) All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon (8g) Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon (5g) Baking Soda
  • 2 teaspoons (4g) Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1 teaspoons (2g) Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
  • 15 oz (425g) Canned Pumpkin (Not Pumpkin Pie Filling. We used Libbys 100% Pure Pumpkin)
  • 1 cup (242g) Milk (We use whole milk or 2%.)
  • 1 teaspoon (6g) Vanilla Extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 16 oz (452g total weight) cream cheese, softened (We used two 8 oz packages, not reduced fat.)
  • 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
  • 6 to 6 ½ cups (690g-747g) powdered sugar (Start with 6 cups, add additional as needed.)

Instructions

For the Pumpkin Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Add paper cupcake liners to the cupcake pan.
  • In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk to blend thoroughly. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of your electric mixer (using paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), add softened butter and sugar. Mix for 3-5 minutes, until lightened in color and fluffy.
  • Next, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each until the yellow of the yolk has blended in.
  • Add the canned pumpkin and vanilla. Mix on low speed to blend.
  • With the mixer on low speed, and beginning and ending with the flour mixture, add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. We did a total of three additions of the flour mixture and two additions of the milk. Mix just until incorporated.
    Makes approximately 7.5 cups of cake batter.
  • Scoop the pumpkin cake batter into the paper liners. We use a ¼ cup scoop for this. This recipe will make about 30 or so cupcakes.
  • Bake at 350℉ for 15-18 minutes. They are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. The centers should also spring back when lightly touched.
  • After removing the cupcake pans from the oven, remove the cupcakes so that they will not continue to bake. We like to sit them on cooling racks for even cooling.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Add the softened butter to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on low to medium speed until the butter is smooth.
  • Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, mixing at low to medium speed until incorporated. If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
  • Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until blended. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
  • Increase mixing speed and mix until fluffy. Be careful not to over mix or it will become too soft. If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
  • This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled. You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix