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4.92 from 12 votes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Sweet and creamy pumpkin cupcakes with a spicy cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24 Cupcakes
Author: Nina Hendrick

Ingredients

For Cupcakes

  • 2 cups Self-Rising Flour (I prefer White Lily) OR 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour + 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick) butter, room temperature or softened
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 8 oz packages of Cream Cheese, room temperature 16 oz total
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 lbs confectioner's sugar i.e. 32 ounce bag
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp cinnamon plus extra for garnish

Instructions

For Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cupcake liners to a 12-cupcake pan, or grease pan.
  • Mix flour (or flour+baking powder), salt, and pumpkin spice in medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Combine pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Cream brown sugar, sugar, and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add eggs in thirds, mixing thoroughly between additions.
  • With your stand mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in thirds, alternating with half of the pumpkin puree, until all is combined.
  • Using an ice cream scoop, fill each section in the cupcake pan 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Repeat for second dozen.

For Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Cream together cream cheese and butter in stand mixer using paddle attachment.
  • Add half of the confectioner's sugar, beat on low until combined. Add other half.
  • Once combined, add vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until combined.
  • Once cupcakes are cool, frost and add cinnamon for garnish.

Video

Notes

Keeping ingredients at room temperature for a little while before baking (eggs, milk, butter, cream cheese) leads to much more stable recipe results!
Use an ice cream scoop to transfer cupcake batter to baking cups!
Place a dish towel over the bowl of your stand mixer when adding your powdered sugar. This prevents a sugar explosion!
I used the Wilton 1mm Star Tip to frost.
Cream Cheese Frosting must be kept refrigerated.