Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These moist, fluffy pumpkin cupcakes are perfectly paired with cream cheese and cinnamon frosting.  

There is one fall flavor combo that truly has a hold over me this time of year and it’s pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pumpkin muffin. But sometimes the only thing that will hit the spot is a cupcake! And this recipe is a good one. You gotta give these a try – for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just a fall day when the weather starts to change.

You won’t regret it. 

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting 

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups (158 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• ⅔ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 – 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ tbsp real maple syrup
• ⅓ cup of Greek yogurt

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting

• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 160 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• ¾  teaspoon of ground cinnamon

    

Pumpkin Cupcakes

This cupcake batter could be turned into a traditional cake batter, if needed. BUT I like that cupcakes are individual servings, easy to grab, faster to bake, and don’t require slicing into pieces at an event. That said, here’s how to make delicious pumpkin cupcakes.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Continue by adding the sugar and mix until combined. 

3. In another bowl, whisk the vanilla, pumpkin, oil, eggs, maple syrup, and yogurt. 

4. Add the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides as needed and mix until combined.

5. Fill the paper liners three quarters full, using an ice cream scooper. 

6. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once ready, remove them from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. 

7. Remove them and set them on a cooling rack, baking sheet, or plate, so you can frost them. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

The tanginess of the cream cheese in this frosting is such a nice balance against the other ingredients and pairs perfectly with the pumpkin cupcakes too!

1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese with the butter until soft and smooth. 

2. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon. Mix until combined. 

3. Add in the powdered sugar gradually, and manually mix until combined. 

4. Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. Pipe over cooled cupcakes and sprinkle a bit more cinnamon on top if you like. 

Notes: I used an Ateco 827 star tip.