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Moist Pumpkin Cupcakes are soft and fluffy with tons of pumpkin spice flavor, all topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. I love pumpkin bread as much as anyone, but once fall baking starts, cupcakes deserve some attention too, especially when cream cheese frosting is involved!
I wanted this Pumpkin Cupcake recipe to taste like actual cupcakes, not pumpkin muffins with frosting on top, so texture was important when I tested them. The goal was a lighter, softer crumb while still keeping that cozy pumpkin flavor and enough spice to make them unmistakably fall.
And yes, testing them meant I got taste a lot of pumpkin cupcakes, which was not exactly a hardship. The tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect match for the warmly spiced cake and makes these an easy alternative when you want a pumpkin dessert that isn’t pie.
Pumpkin Cupcake Ingredients
- My regular vanilla cupcakes call for butter, but I find that using vegetable oil keeps them super moist along with the Pumpkin puree (make sure not to buy pumpkin pie mix).
- Brown sugar: adds a little extra richness for this fall cupcake. I use light brown sugar but dark may be substituted. Granulated sugar completes the mixture.
- Baking powder and Baking soda – the combination makes these the most moist pumpkin cupcakes recipe ever.
- Pumpkin Spices – A teaspoon cinnamon plus all the other pumpkin spices: nutmeg, ginger, and allspice or you can use pumpkin pie spice if you don’t have all the individual ones, but I like adding them separately.
- When making the frosting, make sure the cream cheese and butter are room temperature to avoid lumps.
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Dorothy’s Testing Notes
- Cream Cheese Frosting is the PERFECT topping for these cupcakes. It’s creamy, a little tangy, and very easy to make. That recipe shows all the steps on how to make the frosting, if you need visual help.
- You can frost the cupcakes by spreading the frosting with a spatula. Or, use a 1M tip and pipe it to create a beautifully frosted treat.
- You can serve them plain or dress them up by adding a pumpkin candy corn as a decoration. You can also dust the frosting with ground cinnamon.
- To freeze frosted cupcakes, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours, then place in an airtight container.
- To freeze cupcakes plain, place in a container or bag and freeze. You can also freeze frosting; thaw in fridge and stir before frosting.
- You can make pumpkin cupcakes ahead of time up to 24 hours or make them farther ahead and freeze.
Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup (124g) all purpose flour
Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (339g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cupcakes:
- Note: You can use a hand or a stand mixer for this recipe, or just do it by hand.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cavity cupcake pan with liners.
- Whisk together baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and flour in a small bowl.
- Whisk oil, both sugars, and pumpkin until smooth in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then gently stir in dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full, making 12 cupcakes. Bake about 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cupcakes. Cool before frosting.
- Make the Frosting:
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
- Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
- Frosting option: use a 1M tip for a beautiful cupcake.
- Topping suggestions: use a pumpkin candy corn or dust with cinnamon
- Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cupcakes and frosting can be frozen separately.
Notes
- Substitute 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice for the spices listed if you wish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Variations
- Make pumpkin cupcakes with filling – simply hollow out the center and add more cream cheese frosting or maybe even chocolate cream cheese frosting!
- Make Mini Cupcakes – this will make approximately 36 mini cupcakes (possibly more).
- Want to make pumpkin cupcakes with no cream cheese? Use vanilla buttercream or chocolate frosting instead.
FAQs
You can keep frosted cupcakes in the fridge for up to three days.
Yes, you can freeze them! Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, store them in a freezer container (unfrosted) and they will freeze really well.
You can make the cupcakes up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate them, frosted or unfrosted. Or freeze the cupcakes and frosting separately then assemble before serving. Leave them at room temperature to thaw.
If you don’t have all the spices on hand, use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
One recipe pumpkin cupcakes should make about one 9-inch cake layer if you choose to convert it to a cake.
How to make Pumpkin Cupcakes Step by Step
- Always whisk the dry ingredients before starting to ensure they’re equally distributed in the batter.
- Start with the oil, pumpkin, and sugars, then always add the rest of the wet ingredients before the flour mixture.
- The batter will be thick and dark orange.
- Use cupcake liners (this recipe makes 12 cupcakes).
- The frosting will be smooth if you start with room temperature ingredients.
Loved the recipe, simple, easy & flavorful -makes 12- so not too many. .
I loved the recipes that i found,so thank you!
Dorothy who do you keep your muffins from getting soggy on top? I really like so many of your recipes. Thank you
If you mean after they sit, the only way I’ve been able to avoid that is to store them in the refrigerator.
These look delicious! Sounds like a perfect treat for my sons birthday in November. I love the little candy topper. So festive!
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