These pumpkin cupcakes with maple cinnamon cream cheese frosting are the perfect dessert going into fall. I made them specifically for a co-worker's birthday, who was craving pumpkin desserts, and not only did they go quickly at work, the cupcakes I gave her to take home were gone that night, too!
The slightly spiced pumpkin flavor of the pumpkin cupcakes is perfectly complemented by the maple cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It's like pumpkin pie in cupcake form! If you have leftover frosting, make use of it as a "dip" for graham crackers, or spread it on your favorite banana bread to make it extra decadent.
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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 24 Cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cupcakes
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour (add 2 tablespoon flour if baking at high altitude)
- 1 tsp baking powder (½ tsp if baking at high altitude)
- 1 tsp baking soda (½ tsp if baking at high altitude)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (reduce by 1 tablespoon is baking at high altitude)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (reduce by 1 tablespoon is baking at high altitude)1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
- 3 large eggs
- 1 can pumpkin
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- (Add 2-3 tablespoon water if baking at high altitude)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 7 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (preheat to 375 degrees if baking at high altitude). In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin and vegetable oil. Add combined flour, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger mixture in two parts, beating well after each addition.
- Divide batter between paper-lined muffin cups, filling to three quarters full. Bake 20-25 minutes (reduce to 15-20 minutes if baking at high altitude) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Frosting
- With an electric mixture on medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and maple syrup. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
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