Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe
These Pumpkin Cupcakes are mega soft, fluffy, super moist, and packed with sultry, warm fall spices! With a luxurious maple-infused frosting, these cupcakes are a surefire way to impress friends and family all season long. See the post for tips, tricks, and step-by-step photos to make the best pumpkin cupcake recipe ever!
Servings 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly, see notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp EACH ground nutmeg, ground cloves, salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (Libby's brand recommended)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 TBS unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line one muffin tin with cupcake liners (don’t grease the liners).
- Dry Ingredients: Mix in a large bowl.
- Wet Ingredients: Whisk in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until no flour streaks remain; careful not to overmix or the cupcakes will be dense.
- Evenly divide the batter between the liners, so they are 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes OR until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool the cupcakes for 5-10 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
FROSTING THE CUPCAKES
- In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (you may also use a whisk attachment) to beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy at medium-high speed.
- Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on high speed for one minute or until fluffy. For a thicker frosting, add up to 1/2 cup additional powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, and additional salt to balance the sweetness as needed, OR pop the frosting in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a decorative tip and frost COOLED cupcakes as desired. I start with a dollop in the middle, then circle around and up.
Video
Notes
- Make Ahead if Possible: It will be difficult, but pumpkin cupcakes taste even better after a few hours, or I think they’re best the next 1-2 days. This gives the flavors time to settle and mingle and the moisture to permeate.
- To Make Ahead: The cupcakes can be made one day in advance and stored tightly covered at room temperature (not in the fridge, as this dries them out more quickly). The frosting can also be made one day in advance, tightly covered, and stored in the refrigerator.
- Flour: It's best to weigh the flour for accuracy, but if you don't have a scale, fluff it, spoon it into a measuring cup, and level it (instead of scooping it up with your measuring cup) to avoid compact flour. Too much flour or inaccurately measuring the flour will result in denser cupcakes.
- Pumpkin: I recommend Libby’s brand. Libby’s is concentrated and tightly packed without excess water. You can use another brand, but they tend to be looser, so take extra care to remove excess moisture by blotting with paper towels.
- Use room temperature–NEVER MICROWAVED butter and cream cheese for the frosting. Plan and place them on the counter to soften to 63°F.17°C. If they are too soft, your frosting will be too runny/sloppy to hold its shape instead of sturdy and pipeable.
- Storage: The frosted cupcakes with cream cheese frosting can be left at room temperature for up to 2 hours, then refrigerated. Once refrigerated, they should be kept in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. For the best flavor, allow refrigerated cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving.