Pumpkin cupcakes are a classic fall treat in addition to all the other ones. The tang of the cream cheese frosting pairs so well with the sweetness of the pumpkin cupcake. Having made several pumpkin recipes this fall, I feel that people like the combo of nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves more so than the actual pumpkin flavor. Which might explain why people that order PSLs switch to gingerbread lattes the day after Thanksgiving. Having tried pumpkin puree on its own, I’m not a big fan of it. The flavor is very earthy, almost too much so. And this is coming from someone that enjoys steamed beets. There are various health benefits of eating pumpkin so I’m all for adding in a bunch of spices and enough sugar to balance out all of those health benefits. Anyway, on to the recipe.
Pumpkin Cupcakes Notes
The batter for this recipe can be prepared quickly. There isn’t any need to chill the batter before baking so you can make these cupcakes start to finish in under 2 hours, depending on your speed in the kitchen. I try to provide realistic prep times for my recipes. I also try to account for extra glancing at the recipe to see what you need to do next. If you find the prep times for any of my recipes to still be too short, let me know. Seriously, the first person to provide feedback in the comments below will get a free batch of brown butter toffee sandwich cookies. Since nobody reads these sections anyways, I’m pretty confident I won’t be making them anytime soon.
Back to the recipe, I’d recommend getting the cream cheese out early. It will take a bit for the cream cheese to come to room temperature while you are preparing the cupcakes. If you can take it out an hour or so before you start prepping the cupcakes, even better. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set the tin aside until ready to use. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the butter and sugars. Using the paddle attachment, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Next, add the vegetable oil and mix, then the egg. Once the egg has been incorporated, add the sour cream, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. It might look a bit weird, see below, but don’t worry, its fine.
Mix on low speed until combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
More Cupcake Notes
Using a spatula, give the mixture a final mix by hand. This is to make sure that the mixture has been fully mixed and there aren’t bits of flour in there. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
A toothpick inserted into the cupcake should come out clean. Also, the cupcake should spring back a bit when lightly pressed. Turn off the oven and leave the cupcakes in there with the door open. This is to help keep the cupcakes from deflating. Let the cupcakes cool for ten minutes and then take out of the oven and let cool in the tin for another five minutes. After that, transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. The cupcakes can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Cream Cheese Frosting Notes
The cream cheese frosting can be prepared while the cupcakes are baking. I assumed this would be the case when calculating the total time required to make this recipe, FYI. Once the cream cheese and butter have come to room temperature, add the cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat until light and airy, around 3 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides once or twice during this process. Once the cream cheese is ready, add the butter and beat until incorporated and smooth. Next, a little at a time, add the powdered sugar. When the mixture reaches the right consistency and is well combined, add the vanilla extract. Once the vanilla has been incorporated, transfer the frosting to a piping bag and place in the fridge until ready to pipe.
Cupcake Assembly Notes
The cupcakes need to be completely cool so that the cream cheese frosting doesn’t melt. Using a piping bag with your desired frosting tip, I used a #4-star tip for large portions of frosting on top of the cupcakes. If the piping goes wonky, you can always scrape it off and back into the bag to try again. Pay attention to the temperature of the cream cheese frosting. You need it warm enough to pipe, but cool enough to hold its shape. Don’t be afraid to place the frosting back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up. Once ready, the pumpkin cupcakes should be served immediately or stored in the fridge for a day or two before eating.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- muffin tin
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 150 grams AP flour (1¼ cups)
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
- ½ tsp Salt
- 84 grams Unsalted Butter, softened (6 tbsp)
- 100 grams Brown sugar (½ cup)
- 50 grams granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 30 ml vegetable oil (2 tbsp)
- 1 Large Egg
- 56 grams sour cream
- 5 ml Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)
- 225 grams Pumpkin Puree (1 cup)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 454 grams Cream cheese (1 lb)
- 170 grams Unsalted Butter, softened (12 tbsp)
- 360 grams Powdered Sugar (3 cups)
- 10 ml Vanilla Extract (2 tsp)
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line your muffin tin with cupcake liner. Set aside until ready to use.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Using the paddle attachment, beat on high speed until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable oil and beat until combined. Next, add the egg and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during this process.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Using a spatula, give the batter a stir to make sure the mixture is well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners,
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cupcakes should spring back when tapped in the center.
- Let cool in the pan for five minutes and then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Let the cream cheese and butter come to room temperature.
- Using the bowl of your stand mixer and the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, around 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and beat until incorporated and smooth, another 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until the frosting is smooth and well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.
Cupcake Assembly
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with your desired frosting tip, I used a star tip.
- Pipe the frosting in a circular pattern around the top of the cupcake to create an elegant design. Repeat with the other cupcakes.
- Serve cupcakes quickly after piping or store covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Cupcakes will last 3 days covered in the fridge.
