Easy pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, made from scratch. A favorite fall cupcake recipe from our contributor, Lauren Kapeluck of EllenJay Events.
This holiday season, why not branch out from the standard pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread and mix up a batch of Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. During the fall my pantry is always stocked full of pumpkin as my go to ingredient. I have about 12 cans of pumpkin on hand right now! Pumpkin is such a great ingredient that can be used in a variety of dessert recipes, like a pumpkin spice cake or pumpkin tiramisu. But these pumpkin cupcakes are the best and by far a reader favorite!
WHAT MAKES THESE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES SO GOOD?
These pumpkin cupcakes are smacked full of fall flavors featuring cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. The cupcakes are paired with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting which is the perfect compliment to the cinnamon flavor in the cakes. I guarantee you won’t just be eating one of these at a time. I love how you can see the specs of cinnamon throughout the icing, not to mention the taste is amazing!
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Can this recipe be made into a cake? Yes it can! This recipe was used as the base for this Pumpkin Spice Cake.
- Can the canned pumpkin be substituted with fresh pumpkin puree? Yes, you could certainly use homemade pumpkin puree. Here is a great recipe for making it at home.
- Can these be made in advance? Yes. You can bake the cupcakes in advance and freeze them stored in a ziplock bag. Defrost completely before frosting. Alternatively, you can bake and frost these cupcakes a day in advance, storing the finished cupcake in the refrigerator.
- How should I store these cupcakes? It’s always best to store any cupcake with cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator. Bring the cupcakes out a 30 minutes before serving – they will taste the best at room temperature.
- My icing turned out a little bit runny. What should I do? Your icing could have been runny due to the butter and cream cheese being too soft. Simply pop your bowl into the refrigerator to let it chill and set up some before piping onto the cupcakes. Another solution is to add a little bit more confectioners sugar to thicken it to your liking.
- Can I use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer? Yes, this recipe will work with a hand mixer.
- What piping tip did you use for the frosting? A large round tip like a Wilton 1A.
- How do I convert this recipe to grams? Here is a great resource to help you convert from cups to grams.
- I don’t like pumpkin. Will I like these cupcakes? Yes, you will! Many people who are not fans of pumpkin still enjoy these pumpkin cupcakes. They offer a great alternative to pumpkin pie and other pumpkin desserts.
MORE PUMPKIN RECIPES TO TRY:
- Baileys Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Tiramisu Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Free Printable
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Easy pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, made from scratch.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 30 Cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Cupcake
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
- In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add dry ingredients and milk, alternating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Mix in pumpkin puree.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
- Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing.
Make the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined.
- Gradually add in confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
- Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.
- Place icing in piping bag fitted with a large round tip and frost cupcakes.
Notes
- Store cupcakes in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.
Cupcakes turned out great…light and fluffy but mine took about 26 minutes to bake rather than 18.
Delicious! Thank you for sharing. My family loved them. Do you think I could make a 9×13 cake with this recipe next time instead of cupcakes?
Yes, you could bake it as a 9×13. You’ll need to extend the baking time, checking on it at the 30 minute mark and baking until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
And, here’s a layer cake version of this recipe: Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Seed Brittle
they look yummy!
These are the BEST pumpkin cupcakes I’ve ever made, this recipe is easy and simple and the results are amazing. Lets not forget the frosting! Just thinking about it makes me drool! I made these for my son’s first birthday, they were a huge hit, with parents and kids alike. Definitely a keeper!
Making these again this holiday season, just love them – thanks!
Love these cupcakes! What number tip did you use on the frosting?
A large round tip like a Wilton 1A works well!
I made them for my neighborhood’s Halloween potluck yesterday and they were a huge hit. The cake the nice and moist and the frosting’s hint of cinnamon was perfect.
Made these for a Halloween party and they were a huge hit. I’m not a fan of pumpkin, but even I loved these. 🙂 Thanks so much for the amazing recipe!
Oh my goodness! I tried baking the cupcakes today and they turned out amazing. I was squealing in joy as I peeled out the paper (yes, this is what happens when you’ve had a whole day of cupcake baking failures). Thank you so so much!
What kind of milk do I use? Regular whole milk or can I use evaporated milk from a can?
Whole milk. Enjoy Zahra!
We made these today!!! They were to die for!!! Super easy and quick. One thing I did change though was only putting 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in the icing because I really wanted the cream cheese flavour to shine, while still have a hint of cinnamon for the flavour.
WOW! Just made these are they turned out AMAZING, they’re for a potluck and im so excited to share them tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!
These are to die for! I just made them and they are incredible. Such a great combo!
I’m making these for a work party first thing in the morning. I don’t have time to make the frosting in the morning, or room to store the cupcakes in the refrigerator overnight. Do you think leaving the cupcakes on the counter, and keeping the frosting in an airtight container and piping once I arrive would work?
That’s a tricky one Kelly! Your best bet is to make some room in the refrigerator to keep the finished cupcakes overnight. But… if that just isn’t an option, cover the bare cupcakes with plastic wrap to keep them moist overnight (frosting normally takes care of that for you) and refrigerate the frosting. Be sure to allow enough time in the morning for your frosting to soften a tad so that it’s pipeable – it will be pretty solid when it first comes out of the fridge. Best of luck to you !
Baked these cupcakes this afternoon! Love this recipe and will definitely be baking them again!
Thanks for the recipe!
I love the taste of them. Only thing that I had an issue with was the frosting. It came out way too runny. How do I thicken it. I don’t want to add anymore sugar because it’s already so sweet. Help! I need to do these for this weekend’s party.
Pop your frosting into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so. This will help it firm up enough to pipe onto the cupcakes. If it gets too firm once refrigerated, give it a short blend in the mixer to loosen it a little, but not to where it gets too runny again. Hope that helps!
oh okay. I can do that. But once I pipe it on to the cupcake, and leave it out on the table and everything, won’t it warm up and get all runny and soggy again. Reason why I’m asking is because I tried to pipe the frosting onto the cupcake and the pretty piping I was trying to do, looked all warm and soggy and didn’t stay up in a stiff consistency.
Cream cheese frosting is typically softer than a straight buttercream, so it’s not always the best choice for intricate piping. But this frosting will hold a nice swirl, like what’s shown in the photos. Generally speaking, the frosting can just get too loose from all the whipping in the mixer, but it won’t get hot/soft again unless sitting out for a long time or the room is really warm. But for food safety reasons, cream cheese frostings should always be stored in the refrigerator and brought out 30 to 60 minutes before serving, to take the chill off.
If you need something more stable, a traditional American buttercream or a Swiss Meringue buttercream might be a better bet. Best of luck with your party this weekend!
DELICIOUS!!! This recipe worked out perfectly and everything came out so well! Very pleased!
I cannot make these cupcakes again without commenting on your blog. I found this recipe on Pinterest years ago and I make them all the time! For family get togethers, parties, potlucks… They turn out perfect every time and everyone loves them, asks for them! It is a favorite go to for me. Thank you, Lauren Kapeluck, for posting this delicious recipe and making me look like such a good cook for all of these years! Happy Fall!
Amazing and the cupcake came out so perfect and dense with great flavor. My husband and son loved it, can’t wait for people to try it tomorrow for thanksgiving!