There’s something truly magical about the warm, comforting aroma of pumpkin and spice that seems to hug your entire kitchen. It whispers of cozy sweaters, crisp autumn leaves, and joyful gatherings, doesn’t it? These pumpkin cupcakes are your perfect ticket to that feeling, offering a little bite of pure seasonal bliss.

Incredibly light and fluffy, each cupcake boasts a super-soft crumb that just melts in your mouth. They’re packed with genuine pumpkin flavor and the perfect blend of warming spices, all topped with a luxuriously creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. Honestly, if you’re a fan of those famous pumpkin spice lattes, you are about to meet your new favorite treat.

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

Beyond the incredible taste, this recipe is a dream because of its sheer simplicity. You likely have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now, waiting for their moment to shine. They come together so quickly, you might just find yourself whipping up a batch on a random weeknight, just because you can.

It’s a fantastically forgiving recipe, too, perfect for both novice bakers and seasoned pros. The process is straightforward, and the result is consistently delightful—moist, tender cupcakes every single time. You’re not just making dessert; you’re creating little edible hugs for everyone lucky enough to get one.

Ingredients Needed for the Recipe

Gathering your ingredients beforehand makes the process smooth and enjoyable. Here’s what you’ll need to create these autumnal wonders:

• All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cupcake structure.
• Granulated sugar & light brown sugar: For sweetness and a hint of molasses depth.
• Baking powder & baking soda: Our dynamic leavening duo for the perfect rise.
• Salt: To balance and enhance all the other flavors.
• Pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, cinnamon: The warm, spiced soul of the cupcakes.
• Canned pumpkin purée: The star of the show! Ensure it’s pure pumpkin, not pie filling.
• Vegetable oil: Keeps the cupcakes incredibly moist.
• Eggs: They bind everything together and add richness.
• Vanilla extract: A must for that underlying warmth.
• Unsalted butter & cream cheese: The base for our heavenly frosting.
• Powdered sugar: Sifted to create a silky-smooth frosting.

The Heart of the Spice: Crafting Your Blend

While store-bought pumpkin pie spice is a fantastic shortcut, creating your own blend is a simple and rewarding process. It allows you to control the intensity and balance of flavors exactly to your liking, and the aroma that fills your kitchen is an experience in itself.

You can easily whip up a batch by combining ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cardamom, cloves, and a touch of nutmeg. Mixing your own spices feels a bit more special, like you’re adding a secret, personal touch to your baking that truly makes the cupcakes your own.

How to make Pumpkin Cupcakes?

Save

Preheat and Prepare

Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures it’s perfectly hot and ready when your batter is mixed. Line your muffin pans with pretty paper liners; this prevents sticking and makes for a beautiful presentation.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all those wonderful spices. Sifting is key here—it aerates the flour and breaks up any lumps, promising a lighter, more uniform cupcake texture.

Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth and beautifully homogenous. This wet mixture will be thick and richly colored, a promise of the flavor to come.

Bring It All Together

Now, pour your gorgeous pumpkin mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold them together. Remember, just until no streaks of flour remain—overmixing is the enemy of a tender cupcake!

Fill the Liners and Bake

Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, fill each liner about three-quarters full. This gives the cupcakes the perfect amount of space to rise into a lovely dome. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let Them Cool Completely

This step requires patience! Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. They must be completely cool to the touch before you even think about frosting them, or you’ll have a melty, sad mess.

Make the Frosting

While they cool, beat the softened butter until it’s creamy and pale. Add the room-temperature cream cheese and beat until the mixture is utterly smooth and lump-free. Beat in the vanilla and salt, then gradually add the sifted powdered sugar on low speed.

Frost and Decorate

Once the sugar is incorporated, whip the frosting on medium-high speed for a minute until it’s light and fluffy. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and pipe beautiful swirls onto each cooled cupcake. A little extra sprinkle of cinnamon on top is never a bad idea.

Tips

Always use room temperature ingredients for both the cupcakes and the frosting. This is non-negotiable for a smooth, emulsified batter and a lump-free, creamy frosting. Cold ingredients simply will not incorporate properly.

For the love of all that is good, do not overmix the batter! Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry, fold gently until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which leads to a tough, dense cupcake instead of a light, fluffy one.

When measuring flour, avoid scooping directly from the bag with your measuring cup. Instead, fluff the flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. For absolute precision, a kitchen scale is your best friend.

How to Store Your Masterpieces

Because of the cream cheese frosting, these cupcakes need to be refrigerated. Place them in a single layer in an airtight container; they’ll keep beautifully for up to 4 days. The cold fridge can slightly firm up the cake, so let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best texture and flavor.

You can also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes for longer storage. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and frost them the day you plan to serve them.

Fun Variations to Try

Feel like getting creative? Fold a handful of chocolate chips, chopped toasted pecans, or even white chocolate chunks into the batter right before portioning it into the liners. The added texture provides a wonderful surprise in every single bite.

For a different frosting experience, a spiced brown butter frosting or a simple vanilla buttercream would also be divine. You could even add a teaspoon of maple extract to the frosting for a delightful autumn twist that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin.

Save

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe

Author: Elly Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: American Courses: Desserts Recipe Keys: F fall baking H Halloween cupcakes T Thanksgiving treats

Difficulty: easy Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 18 mins Rest Time 30 mins Total Time 1 hr 13 mins

Cooking Temp: 350  F Servings: 12 Estimated Cost: $ 7.00 Calories: 320

Best Season: Fall

Description

These moist and fluffy pumpkin cupcakes are a fall favorite, bursting with warm spices and topped with a generous swirl of creamy vanilla buttercream. Easy to make from scratch, they're perfect for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving desserts, or any autumn celebration.

Ingredients

Servings

For the Cupcakes

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Buttercream

• ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 tbsp milk (or heavy cream)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes

1. Preheat and Prep

   Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
   Mark as complete

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
   Mark as complete

3. Mix Wet Ingredients

   In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
   Mark as complete

4. Combine

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently fold together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
   Mark as complete

5. Fill and Bake

   Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
   Mark as complete

6. Cool

   Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
   Mark as complete

Make the Buttercream

1. Cream Butter

   In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
   Mark as complete

2. Add Sugar

   Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, about ½ cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
   Mark as complete

3. Finish Frosting

   Add the milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add more milk, ½ teaspoon at a time. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
   Mark as complete

4. Frost

   Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them using a piping bag with a star tip or simply with a knife or spatula.
   Mark as complete

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12

Serving Size 1 cupcake

---

Amount Per Serving

Calories 320kcal

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 14gg22%

Saturated Fat 6gg30%

Trans Fat 0gg

Cholesterol 45mgmg15%

Sodium 270mgmg12%

Potassium 180mgmg6%

Total Carbohydrate 47gg16%

Dietary Fiber 1gg4%

Sugars 34gg

Protein 3gg6%

---

Calcium 80mg mg

Iron 1.5mg mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

• Pumpkin puree: Use 100% pure canned pumpkin puree (like Libby's), not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices.
• Buttermilk substitute: If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to ¼ cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Don't overmix: Mix the batter only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to dense cupcakes.
• Don't overbake: Check the cupcakes at 16 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
• Cool completely: Ensure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting, otherwise the buttercream will melt.
• Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Thaw and frost before serving.

Keywords: pumpkin cupcakes, fall cupcakes, pumpkin dessert, easy cupcake recipe, spiced cupcakes, homemade cupcakes, cream cheese frosting, holiday baking