Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are easy to make afternoon snack on weekdays. Adorn them with a pretty cream cheese frosting swirl and a caramel drizzle for a fancy dinner treat on the weekend.

updated from October 2010

HOW TO MAKE EASY PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES with CREAM CHEESE LATTE FROSTING

PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES

These moist pumpkin cupcakes are packed with delicious pumpkin flavor and your favorite fall spices.

First, you need bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Allow butter and egg sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before preparing the cupcake batter.

• To whip up the cake batter, use a stand or hand-held mixer. In a large mixing bowl on medium speed cream room temperature unsalted butter with brown and granulated sugar. Then beat in room temperature eggs and Vanilla Extract (steps 1- 3).
• Pumpkin flavor comes from a store-bought pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling (steps 4-5).
• I’m a huge fan of cinnamon so added an extra teaspoon along with pumpkin pie spice. Into a separate bowl sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt (step 6).
• This batter is pretty dense when you make it. To make it light and airy, this cake batter relies on baking powder and baking soda for a light and fluffy texture. Why am I using baking soda along with baking powder? This recipe calls for buttermilk and brown sugar. Both are acidic. The acid in buttermilk and brown sugar along with the liquid activates baking soda. This reaction produces carbon dioxide which causes cake batter to rise and become fluffy and light.
• On low speed, into the pumpkin batter, gradually, alternating beat in flour mix and buttermilk (steps 7-8).
• Don’t have buttermilk. They are at least 6 ways to make buttermilk at home.

BAKE CUPCAKES

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill each cavity with ¼ cup of cake batter. Tap the pan on the counter to release any large air bubbles. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the raised cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes onto the cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting (steps 1-4).

CREAM CHEESE LATTE FROSTING

This frosting is so delicious. You’ll be licking your fingers before you know it.

Remember to bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature before making the frosting.

I flavored cream cheese with instant coffee dissolved in vanilla extract. Yes, you can use a coffee flavoring if you don’t have coffee in the pantry.

Pour coffee granules into the vanilla extract. Let sit for a minute and then whisk until smooth.

In a mixing bowl cream both, cream cheese and butter until smooth (steps 1-3). Gradually beat in powdered sugar and coffee-vanilla mixture. In this recipe I use heavy whipping cream but if you don’t have heavy cream you don’t have to use it. I use it to make the frosting a fluffier.

DECORATE CUPCAKES

Fit a large piping bag with a piping tip #1M.

LATTE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND CARAMEL DRIZZLE

Onto each cupcake pipe a simple swirl of frosting. Drizzle thick caramel over the swirl and decorate with edible chocolate pearls.

If frosting become soft while you pipe the swirls, refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes.

TIPS

• Don’t beat the cupcake batter on high, beat at low to medium.
• Remember to bring the ingredients to room temperature
• Yes, you can use mini chocolate chips in the cake batter, stir in 1/4 cup of mini chips coated in flour to the cake batter.
• If frosting become soft while you pipe the swirls, refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes.
• I don’t like cream cheese frosting what else can I use? I think German Buttercream would pair nicely with pumpkin cupcakes.
• These cupcakes can be made ahead of time. Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge for up to 5 days, covered in an airtight container. Or undecorated cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months.

• ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE FALL DESSERTS? HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITES TO GET YOU INSPIRED
• Simple Fall Decorated Cookies
• Pumpkin Sponge Cake Recipe
• Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
• Gingerbread Caramel Popcorn

Did you make this recipe? Tag @hanielas on Instagram and hashtag it #hanielas

This post was originally published on October 29th, 2010 . On July 12th, 2022 I updated this post with new step-by-step photos and written text.