These pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting are the only pumpkin cupcake recipe you need. They’re moist, extra soft, filled with pumpkin spice and topped with the fluffiest, creamiest frosting around. The perfect cupcake for fall!
I’ve made a lot of pumpkin recipes in my time – but these pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting definitely received the best reviews. The pumpkin cupcakes on they’re own are perfection because they have a super soft crumb, rise beautifully, and a crazy delicious pumpkin cinnamon flavor. And when they’re topped cinnamon cream cheese frosting????? Cupcake heaven.
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
For these pumpkin cupcakes, I wanted them to have a warm spice cake flavor but I didn’t want it to take over. Pumpkin needs to be the star of the show. So we’re using just the right amount of cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg. Then brown sugar and vanilla round out the delicious flavor profile and allow the pumpkin flavor to really shine.
Hello there pumpkin pie in cupcake form.
Then it was absolutely pertinent (FANCY WORDS) that the cupcakes were moist but not greasy. I found that using oil gave a softer crumb than butter, and helped to ensure that the cupcakes don’t get heavy. Then 2 eggs keep the crumb tender and milk for moisture. The pumpkin actually adds moisture too – so it really does double duty here.
Just make sure to use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling for these pumpkin cupcakes. Pumpkin pie filling is filled with a bunch of other ingredients which we don’t need in these cupcakes.
Now it’s time to talk about the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It just might be the best frosting around. It’s not too sweet, has a slight tanginess from the cream cheese, and a delicious cinnamon flavor. I seriously love the frosting because it’s not sickly sweet, and I seriously couldn’t think of a better topping for these pumpkin cupcakes.
If you’re a pumpkin lover, frosting addict, Thanksgiving enthusiast, cupcake connoisseur – you’ll love these pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Or for more pumpkin treats, try these other favorites:
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin French Toast
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil , or canola
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup pure pumpkin
- ⅓ cup milk
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter , softened
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon , I often do 1 ½
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 - 3.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons cream , as needed
Instructions
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin pans with muffin papers, you'll end up with about 18 cupcakes.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl beat together the oil, sugars, eggs & vanilla extract until no lumps remain (about 1-2 minutes).
- Mix in the pumpkin.
- With the mixer on low speed mix in the flour mixture about ½ at a time alternating with ½ of the milk.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each about ⅔ full.
- Bake in the center rack of your oven for 16-19 minutes, or until the tops feel slightly firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl beat the butter until fluffy - about 2 minutes. Then beat in the cream cheese.
- Add in the cinnamon & vanilla extract.
- Beat in the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, starting with the mixer on low speed. If the frosting seems too thick, beat in the whipping cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes using a flat knife or piping bag.
Kathy
What are you sprinkling on top to have that finished look
Fiona
Just a little extra cinnamon, sprinkle through a metal sifter.
Meagan
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were absolutely AMAZING!! Fantastic recipe, thank you so much for sharing!
Heidi
I needed a pumpkin cupcake recipe last minute and tried this one. I doubled it because I needed more cupcakes. It was amazing! The flavor and moisture were perfect. I did do a stabilized cream cheese frosting instead( added meringue powder and cornstarch)to make the frosting last longer for serving. It was a hit! This will be my go to pumpkin cake recipe for sure!
Heidi
This recipe was a huge hit for my daughter in law baby shower! It was a little pumpkin themed shower. Last minute the person that was doing the cakes fell though. I had to come up with a pumpkin recipe cupcake. This was a delicious, moist cupcake recipe with amazing flavor! This will be my go to recipe for fall cupcakes! It was delicious and amazing, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Tammy
Made these yesterday. So simple and delicious!
Tammy
Awesome recipe. So easy! These were a big hit! Thank you
Carolyn Driscoll Lawson
This recipe is AMAZING. It is so moist!!!
Lori Johnson
I did these for a wedding recently and everyone loved them! I have a friend who wants pumpkin spice cake instead of cupcakes. Can this be turned into a half sheet cake?
Sherrie
I made these and filled them with a salted caramel cheesecake filling, then drizzled some caramel on top of the frosting.
Emily
These cupcakes are delicious! They are so tasty and moist, and the icing is to die for. I didn’t have nutmeg, so subbed the ginger and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice. We had so much icing leftover though, I’d probably halve the icing next time….unless I want to save the leftovers for a graham cracker treat 😀
Fiona
Thanks so much for your review Emily! I definitely like a lot of icing 🙂
Carly
What kind of milk do you use?
Fiona
I typically use 2% in baking, but because these cupcakes are so moist, you could get away with 1% or even skim. I think almond would be fine too
Barb
Everyone loved these cupcakes.
I found the frosting to be a bit sweet so I added the full 8oz block of cream cheese.
It’s versatile enough to gain your desired sweetness.
Fiona
I’m so glad the cupcakes were a hit. Thanks for your feedback on the frosting – I always find it’s hard to judge sweetness in frosting recipes, because everyone is so different with what the prefer for sweetness.