These scrumptious and adorable moist cinnamon pumpkin cupcakes are topped with an easy five-ingredient cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Fall never tasted so good. I love to bring these to potlucks, family reunions, and neighborhood socials.
They are the perfect individually proportioned sweet treat. If you like these pumpkin goodies, try pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting.
If your family is anything like mine, then they love pumpkin desserts. These sweet pumpkin cupcakes dressed in candy corn are no exception to that rule. The kids and hubby love the moist pumpkin cake with warm spices and a smooth whipped cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Leavening agents: both baking powder and baking soda. Make sure they are still good.
- Spices: warm spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice
- Pumpkin puree: canned or homemade
- Vanilla extract: the pure stuff, please. It is pricey, but it is worth it.
- Cream cheese: full-fat for the best flavor; don’t forget to soften it.
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Start by whisking together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice in a medium bowl. Now, whisk together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla in a separate large bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients in several increments. mixing just until incorporated. Divide the pumpkin cupcake batter evenly into a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes fully cool before frosting.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat your cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar one cup at a time.
Mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the beaters and bowl several times. Pipe or frost the pumpkin cream cheese cupcakes after they have thoroughly cooled. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Always measure your flour properly. Spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off with a table knife. This assures that the proper amount of flour is in the recipe.
- Use canned or fresh pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter already contains other spices, sugar, and salt.
- Use cupcake liners as they are easy to use, the cupcakes don’t stick to the pan, and they peel right off, making for quick consumption.
- If you pipe the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, do not over-mix the cream cheese and butter. Mix just until creamy and smooth. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and pipe over thoroughly cooled cupcakes.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours if the frosting is too loose to pipe.
- Because of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
To prepare in advance. Bake the cupcakes and cool completely. Freeze the unfrosted cupcakes in a sturdy freezer container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Prepare the frosting and frost the thawed cupcakes.
If you are short on time, substitute 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
Use a 4-5 lb pie pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half from the stem down. Scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers, reserving the seeds if you roast them. Place the pumpkin cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
Then, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. When cool enough to handle, scoop the pulp from the rind. Puree it in a food processor or mash it with a potato masher. Finally, place the puree in a sieve and set it over a bowl to catch the moisture. Let the puree drain for 1 hour.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- candy corn optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 count standard muffin (cupcake pan) with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in 3 increments, stirring just until combined between each one. Divide batter evenly between the cupcake holes, filling about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, creamy, and lump-free. Mix in vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until fully incorporated. Pipe or frost fully cooled cupcakes. If desired, top with candy corn.
Notes
- Always measure your flour properly. Spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off with a table knife. This assures that the proper amount of flour is in the recipe.
- Use canned or fresh pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter already contains other spices, sugar, and salt.
- Use cupcake liners as they are easy to use, the cupcakes don’t stick to the pan, and they peel right off, making for quick consumption.
- If you pipe the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, do not over-mix the cream cheese and butter. Mix just until creamy and smooth. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag and pipe over thoroughly cooled cupcakes.
- Cover and refrigerate for several hours if the frosting is too loose to pipe.
- Because of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting, these pumpkin cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Zena
I can see us making a lot of these yummy cakes. They are super delicious, everyone loved them
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Zena!
Tammy
I’m a cupcake kind of person instead of a cake. And I can smell these right now cooking in the house. I love the pumpkin spice smell.
Beth Pierce
Me too!
karen
Yessss it is almost pumpkin season and I can’t be more excited! These are fantastic. I made them a couple of times last year and my kids loved them.
Ramil H
What a great combination of moist pumpkin cake and cinnamon cream cheese frosting. They’re perfect for fall gatherings or just enjoying with family. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Ramil!
Tisha
This is a great way to kick off fall baking! I love pumpkin cupcakes!
Celebrate Woman Today
These cupcakes look spectacular! What a wonderfully beautiful way to celebrate any occasion!
Michelle
These pumpkin cupcakes turned out delicious and moist. Very good recipe, I did not change anything. Will make again!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Michelle!