Isn’t it wonderful that the end of the year brings the best food holidays? Halloween, Thanksgiving, even Christmas – great meals and desserts really take center stage. This pumpkin cupcakes recipe in particular – complete with amazing cream cheese frosting – will bring in the end of the year with delicious style.
Pumpkin all.the.things! It’s still early fall and every store and restaurant has brought out the pumpkin spice. You might be tired of pumpkin-flavored foods already. Or maybe you’re a pumpkin fan like we are! Trust us, though – no matter how you feel about this beautiful season, you’re not going to want to pass on these pumpkin cupcakes.
Why are these cupcakes so good? Let us count the ways…they’re moist, light and fluffy, and the texture is heavenly. The cream cheese and spice flavors both work well together. And they’re great for any party, event, or holiday from September to December and beyond!
Let’s get baking!
Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe Ingredients & Utensils
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 room temperature eggs
- 1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin puree
- 2 1/3 cups flour, all-purpose
- 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk
You’ll also need our cream cheese frosting recipe! The flavor combo is the best!
This is a recipe that doubles, triples, etc very very well, so if you need these cupcakes for a party – and we totally recommend making them for a party, by the way – just do the math!
Utensils & Other Items
- Muffin tins
- Paper liners
- 1 large bowl
- 1 small or medium bowl
- Egg beater or whisk
- Toothpick
Diet notes: This recipe is naturally gluten-free – yay! We haven’t tried any substitutions with this recipe, however, so we can’t recommend anything to make it egg-free, dairy-free, etc. Please let us know what works for you in the comments!
How To Make Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- You’ll first need to make our cream cheese frosting recipe coming later this week.
- Now for the cupcakes themselves! Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Fill muffin pans with greaseproof cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Add pumpkin, beat well.
- In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients and sift together (I use a whisk to mix).
- Alternate adding the dry mixture and the buttermilk to the pumpkin mixture. Beat well after each addition.
- Bake cupcakes 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting and top with fall sprinkles.
FAQs About Our Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Recipe
We always get a few curious questions about all our recipes, and we like to answer them in advance to save you time! Here’s what we’ve been asked about this pumpkin cupcakes recipe.
Q: Can you make this batter in advance and refrigerate it?
A: Unfortunately, the batter won’t rise right if you don’t bake the cupcakes immediately. However, if you bake the cupcakes and leave them unfrosted, you can freeze them. Just use an airtight container!
Q: What else can you add to these cupcakes to give it extra flavor?
A: The flavor is O-M-G amazing by itself, in our opinion! We haven’t tried adding anything else to the recipe – it’s perfection to us! However, we have heard of adventurous bakers adding maple syrup, brown sugar, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and even pear to the batter. We can’t personally recommend it – but try it if you want!
Q: Can you use cooked pumpkin instead of canned?
A: We’ve never tried it, so we can’t recommend it but a big part of baking is the joy in trying different things! If you do try it, let us know how it goes!
Happy Autumn!
Want to know a secret? We’ll tell you…this pumpkin cupcake recipe is going to make your fall special. We promise! Are you going to make them for a party, or maybe just for your loved ones? Or maybe just scarf them down yourself! Take a spin with these cupcakes and let us know what you think down in the comments. Top with any of our fall sprinkles, candy sprinkles, or sugars for the perfect match to your holiday decor. Our modern sprinkles are used year round but are perfect for Thanksgiving!
Loved this pumpkin cupcakes recipe? Try these other fun recipes and ideas!
Get in the mood for fall with some of our other blog posts…
- Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats Recipe with Sprinkles
- Halloween Party Ideas
- Pink Glam Halloween Party Ideas
- Maple Cinnamon Cupcakes
- Feather Cupcake Toppers
- Hot Cocoa Bombs