These easy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes have a light, fluffy texture and are loaded with pumpkin spice flavor. Top them with cream cheese frosting for the ultimate fall treat.
🧡 Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
When you’re in the mood for a pumpkin dessert but don’t want to commit to a whole pumpkin cake, give these pumpkin cupcakes a try! They’re wonderfully moist (but not at all dense!) and LOADED with pumpkin spice flavor.
One of the best things about baking with pumpkin puree is that it can compensate for small mistakes. Over-mix or over-bake your dessert a bit? Pumpkin puree to the rescue! The moisture in pumpkin puree keeps desserts from drying out and also helps extend their shelf life. Just another reason to love fall baking!
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
If you are a seasoned baker, you almost certainly have most of what you need on hand already. Here’s what to keep in mind as you gather ingredients. Check the recipe card for full ingredient amounts. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
For the Cupcakes
- Cake flour: For the lightest, fluffiest cupcakes, use cake flour. If you don’t have cake flour, see the Tips below for how to make your own.
- Baking powder
- Pumpkin pie spice: This blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice adds the perfect touch of warmth and coziness to the recipe. Pumpkin pie spice is pumpkin’s best friend! See the FAQs for how to make your own pumpkin pie spice.
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter and salt: For lump-free batter, bring your butter to room temperature before getting started. If you don’t have unsalted butter, use salted butter and omit the extra salt.
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs: Not medium or extra large.
- Milk: I prefer using whole milk because the extra fat adds moisture to the cupcakes, but you can use other varieties if you prefer.
- Pumpkin puree: Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, rather than pumpkin pie filling. The cans are often next to each other at the store and look very similar.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese and allow it to soften at room temperature before using. It’ll need about 30 minutes to soften.
- Unsalted butter and salt: Use room temperature butter. Omit the extra salt if you plan to use salted butter.
- Vanilla extract: I highly recommend Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract.
- Powdered sugar: I like to use C&H Powdered Sugar because it consistently performs well in frosting.
- Spices: If you’d like, dust the tops of your cupcakes with a little cinnamon or nutmeg.
Equipment
All you need are very standard baking tools to make these cupcakes. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Cupcake pan: One of the few things you absolutely need for this is a simple cupcake pan to bake the cupcakes in. I also like to use cupcake liners.
- Stand mixer: A stand mixer can make mixing batter and icing very easy. A hand mixer can also be used.
- Piping bag and tips: You can use a plain piping bag and round tip, or get a little fancy with a large star tip.
🍂 More Fall-Flavored Desserts
Leave a Review!
If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 8 oz cake flour, (2 cups), see Note below
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, see Note below
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 oz unsalted butter, (1/2 cup), at room temperature
- 8.75 oz granulated sugar, (1 ¼ cups)
- 2 large eggs
- 8 fl oz milk, 1 cup
- 8 oz pumpkin puree, 1 cup, not pumpkin pie filling
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 12 oz cream cheese, (1.5 packages), at room temperature
- 3 oz unsalted butter, (6 TBSP), at room temperature
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 24 oz powdered sugar, (6 cups)
Optional topping:
- 1 TBSP ground cinnamon, or nutmeg
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Line a cupcake/muffin pan with 24 paper liners, then set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside for a moment.
- Cream butter and sugar: Add the butter and sugar to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat both on medium speed until lightly and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly add eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until fully combined.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk: With the mixer running on low speed, add a third of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, then when that is mostly mixed in, add a third of the milk. Continue to alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients until both have been added to the batter.
- Add pumpkin: Finally, add the pumpkin puree, and mix just until it's incorporated. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl well with a spatula to make sure everything is well-mixed.
- Fill cupcakes: Scoop the batter into the prepared liners, filling each about 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter for each cupcake.)
- Bake and cool: Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let them cool completely before frosting.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
- Combine everything but powdered sugar: Combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat them together until smooth and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar: Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency for frosting. You may not want to use all of the powdered sugar if you like a looser, creamier frosting. For piped designs, you may want to add a touch more to get it stiffer.
- Finish cupcakes: Frost cupcakes with simple swirls, and then sprinkle with ground cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
New to cupcake making? Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to help you through it. For complete printable instructions, see the recipe card above.
- Prepare to bake: Preheat your oven to 350° F (177° C). As it heats, line a cupcake pan with paper liners and then set it aside for later.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, then set aside for a moment.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs: Next, add in room temperature eggs one at a time, until completely combined.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk: Gradually mix in the flour mixture with the milk. Continue mixing for about 30 seconds.
- Add pumpkin: Whisk in the pumpkin. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure everything is well-mixed.
- Bake: Scoop the batter into the prepared liners, filling about ⅔ full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
- Finish: Once they’re cool, frost the cupcakes and finish them off with a sprinkling of cinnamon or nutmeg.
💡 Tips and FAQs
Variety is the pumpkin spice of life! Here are a few variations you can try:
- Use the brown sugar glaze from this Pumpkin Pound Cake.
- Try it with the spiced frosting from Pumpkin Spice High Hat Cupcakes.
- Use a simple vanilla buttercream frosting or cinnamon buttercream.
- Add mini chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips to the pumpkin batter.
- Embellish the top with Chocolate Leaves or Chocolate Feathers.
You can make your own cake flour at home! To make 2 cups of cake flour, whisk together 1 3/4 cups (7 oz) all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup (1 oz) cornstarch.
Pumpkin pie spice is easy to make at home. To make the 2 tsp this recipe requires, mix together 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp each nutmeg and allspice. If you don’t have all of these spices, replace whatever you’re missing with extra cinnamon.
Because these cupcakes are so moist (thanks, pumpkin puree!) they keep well and don’t dry out as soon as other cupcakes. They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the best taste and texture, let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to take the chill off before serving.
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I never get tired of pumpkin spice. It goes perfectly with that cream cheese frosting, yum!
I totally agree! 😀 Thanks Erika!
These pumpkin spice cupcakes look super cute. My kids are going to love them.
Thanks Beth! My boys basically devoured them. 🙂 Please let me know how they turn out for you!
These pumpkin spice cupcakes are a great alternative to pumpkin pie for a Thanksgiving desert. They are easy to make and my kids love them!!
Agreed! I’ll always pick pumpkin cake over pie. 😀 Glad you liked them!
What a great recipe! These tender cupcakes are filled with the flavors of pumpkin spice and everything nice. The cream cheese frosting is divine! Another winning recipe from Sugar Hero.
Eliza, you’re the best! Thanks so much!
My cupcakes came out super fluffy and yummy! thanks for the recipe!
Yay! I’m so glad they turned out well, thanks for sharing!
Looks so so good! A delicious recipe to use up leftover pumpkin puree.
Definitely! You won’t regret trying these guys!
These are the perfect bites of fall! Delicious spices and the best cream cheese frosting!
Thanks Chenee! They are a great Fall treat!
These look great and sound delish! I am not a seasoned baker and love that this is easy enough for even me to make!
Absolutely! You can make these no problem, I hope you enjoy!