Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft, spiced, and totally cozy, these pumpkin cupcakes are a fall baking favorite. Between the pumpkin spice sugar crust and the dreamy cream cheese frosting, they’ve got all the best parts of fall packed into one bakery-style cupcake!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cupcake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour *See notes below for measuring*
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Spiced Sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese cold
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(180°C). Line a metal cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the butter on low speed until it resembles coarse sand, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, milk, molasses, and vanilla.
- Mix in the wet ingredients until almost combined, scrape down the bowl, and mix a few seconds longer until fully combined.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, filling each one roughly 3/4 full. You will have enough batter for 12 cupcakes.
- Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back when touched lightly. Let the pan cool on a wire rack while you make the sugar.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon.
- Remove the cupcakes from the cupcake pan. When they feel barely warm still, gently remove the liners, roll the sides and bottoms in the spiced sugar, and place them onto a parchment lined baking tray. Set aside while you make the frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a stand mixer bowl, cream the butter until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Then mix in the cream cheese on low until just combined.
- Mix in half of the powdered sugar on low speed, then mix in the other half. Beat the frosting on medium-low speed until white and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste until combined.
For Assembly
- Use a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe swirls of frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Then, gently roll the sides of the cupcake and frosting in the spiced sugar.
- If needed, you can place the cupcakes into new liners. Enjoy!
Notes
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Never scoop a measuring cup into your flour, as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
