Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect dessert for any fall gathering! Sweet, spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with a tangy and creamy cream cheese frosting make for a delicious treat everyone will love.
Not only do they look great on a plate, but their spiced flavor will fill your home with the inviting scents of cinnamon and nutmeg. Plus, you can easily customize them to fit the occasion by adding in sprinkles or other decorations.
So, if you’re looking for an easy yet impressive way to wow your friends and family this season, why not try these easy homemade cupcakes and homemade frosting?
Why Make Homemade Cupcakes
- These cupcakes are ready in about 40 minutes.
- Homemade cupcakes taste better than boxed cupcake mix.
- The homemade cream cheese frosting is creamy, sweet, and delicious.
- This recipe is easy to double or triple if you need more.
- Pumpkin spice cupcakes are made with the perfect amount of fall flavors
Ingredients Needed for Fall Cupcakes
Get all the info on these ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- unsalted butter
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- nutmeg
- ground cloves
- pumpkin puree- make sure you’re using puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- packed light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- cream cheese
- salted caramel sauce- I use Smuckers caramel sauce to really elevate this frosting to the next recipe
- vanilla extract
- confectioners sugar- this can also be called powdered sugar
How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. The butter will melt and then begin to bubble and foam. Eventually, it will begin to turn brown and smell nutty. Be patient and watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a small, heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking. Set aside to cool.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.
- In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients- pumpkin puree, browned sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and the cooled brown butter. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet and whisk until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners to 3/4 full.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean from the moist pumpkin cupcakes.
- Let the unfrosted cupcakes cool on a wire rack while you make the frosting.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the caramel and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
- Continue beating until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the confectioners sugar until well combined. Then, beat on high speed for about two minutes.
Assembly Instructions
- Transfer the luscious cream cheese frosting to a piping bag or a zip-top plastic bag and cut the corner off to act as a piping bag so you can pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
Storage
The best way to store pumpkin cupcakes is to keep them in an airtight container. This helps maintain their moisture and flavor. Place the cupcakes in a single layer on a plate or cake stand before transferring them into the container.
If stacking multiple layers of cupcakes, be sure to place parchment paper between each layer so they won’t stick together. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month for best results. Keeping them at room temperature is not recommended because of the frosting ingredients.
Can I use my own pumpkin puree?
Yes, in fact, if you need a pumpkin purée recipe, check out this post to learn how to make your own pumpkin puree. It’s better to use freshly made homemade pumpkin puree then to use the canned pumpkin puree with additives and preservatives anyway. Plus, it helps bring out even more delicious pumpkin flavor.
What other frosting can I use?
You can use any other frosting you think would work with these fluffy pumpkin cupcakes. A cinnamon cream cheese frosting would work well and so would a plain cream cheese frosting.
You can make that by just omitting the caramel sauce from our recipe.
You can also use regular vanilla frosting or a cinnamon spice glaze if desired.
Tips and Variations
- Instead of using ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon, you can use a pumpkin spice mix in its place.
- To make transferring the pumpkin cupcake batter to the pans easier and more evenly, you can use a large cookie scoop to measure out and move the batter from the mixing bowl to the cupcake lined pan.
- For an extra special fall flavor, drizzle some maple syrup in the frosting or drizzle it right on top of the frosted cupcakes.
- Add a surprise to these cupcakes by adding some mini chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
If you’re a pumpkin lover, these really are the best pumpkin cupcakes to make. They’d go great with any of your other favorite pumpkin recipes, like a pumpkin cake, pumpkin donuts, or any other pumpkin desserts you want to serve them with.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Sea Salt Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Soon it will be the season for State Fairs and local county fairs! And, the locals will be submitting their very best baked goods to be judged in hopes of winning that coveted blue ribbon! If I were to submit one of my recipes to the county fair, it would be these pumpkin cupcakes with sea salt caramel buttercream! The moist pumpkin cupcake alone is divine, but the salted caramel buttercream frosting takes them to blue ribbon status!
Ingredients
- PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
- 3/4 C unsalted butter
- 1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 C pumpkin puree
- 1 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1 large eggs
- SEA SALT CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
- 1/2 C unsalted butter softened
- 6 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 C salted caramel sauce (I use Smuckers)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 C confectioners sugar
Instructions
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
- Preheat the oven to 325.
- Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. The butter will melt and then begin to bubble and foam. Eventually, it will begin to turn brown and smell nutty. Be patient and watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a small, heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking. Set aside to cool.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.
- In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, browned sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and the cooled brown butter. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
- Fill the cupcake liners to 3/4 full.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
SEA SALT CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
- Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the caramel and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
- Continue beating until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the confectioners sugar until well combined. Then, beat on high speed for about two minutes.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes and top with a caramel candy.
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Naomi Chance
Saturday 22nd of August 2020
Pumpkin and sea salt caramel are my two most favorite flavors. Can't wait to make these for my family! Thank you :)
Michele M.
Friday 21st of August 2020
Thank you!! Just printed off the recipes - sounds sooooo good once it cools down.
I appreciate the inspiration. YYYYUUUUMMMMM!!!!!
Rebecca Payne
Friday 21st of August 2020
I can not wait to try the cup cakes. Thank you for sharing.
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