Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are the quintessential fall dessert everyone needs! These cupcakes are moist and fluffy with a rich cream cheese frosting that’s to die for.
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Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I absolutely love making this recipe in the fall time because the fragrant spices, sweet pumpkin flavor, and delicious frosting just fit the season so perfectly. This simple recipe is a real winner for get togethers, bake sales, and holiday parties.
Thank you, Wilton! A big shout out to Wilton for providing all the necessary equipment to create this stunner autumn themed dessert.
Ever since I began my journey into the world of baking, Wilton has always been my favorite brand. Whether it be something as simple as piping bags or something more extravagant like their Tilt-N-Turn ULTRA Cake Turntable. Their stellar baking products have been a lifesaver; especially when I had to bake 9 cakes in one day for an event a few years ago.
- TASTE: Spicy and sweet, these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are festive and delicious. The frosting is tangy and sweet.
- TEXTURE: These cupcakes are so irresistibly fluffy and moist. They also have a rich, thick cream cheese frosting that complements them perfectly.
- TIME: This recipe takes less than an hour to make.
- EASE: This dessert is nice and easy, and I walk you through how to make the adorable candy leaves that top them. Piece of cake!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin Puree– This pureed pumpkin gives the cupcakes their distinctive flavor. Buying canned pumpkin is much easier than making your own.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– This will add richness to the cupcake batter.
- Spices- Pumpkin Spice and Cinnamon give a spicy, festive flavor to this dessert. Pumpkin pie spice is made of ground nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon, and ground ginger.
- Red, Yellow, and Orange Candy Melts– These will be melted to create the autumn leaves that will top these pumpkin cupcakes. (optional)
- Small Leaves– You will use these leaves as the mold for the melted candies to give them the perfect shape.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Use lite cream cheese- To lighten the frosting, you can use a lite or fat-free cream cheese.
- Make them gluten-free- Substitute the all-purpose flour for gluten-free baking flour 1:1 to make these cupcakes gluten-free.
- Substitute brown sugar– Use brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar for a richer flavor.
- Switch up the decorations- Autumn colored sprinkles, pumpkins, and piped icing can decorate these desserts depending on the festivities.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- Beat the eggs and add the sugar and pumpkin. Beat the eggs in a bowl for a minute or two using an electric beater. Then add the sugar and beat for another 4 minutes until the egg mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Then blend in the pumpkin purée.
- Add the cream and butter. Pour the heavy whipping cream and melted butter into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sift the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour into a separate bowl. Then add the dry ingredients to the batter in thirds, while gently folding the flour mixture each time.
- Bake the cupcakes. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill about 18 of them issuing a large scoop. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Make the frosting. Meanwhile beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon. Once it’s well mixed, add the powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth.
Pro Tip: Use room temperature ingredients to help ensure a smooth and creamy frosting.
- Frost the cupcakes. Using a 2D Wilton piping tip, pipe the frosting onto each cooled cupcake in a circular motion. Then sprinkle on with your favorite sprinkles.
- Melt the candy for the fall candy leaves- In three separate bowls, melt red, yellow, and orange candy melts in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
- Pipe it out. Then fill 3 Wilton piping bags with each color of candy melts and pipe out scattered dots of melted candy into a Wilton candy melting pot.
- Gently swirl them. Using a toothpick, gently swirl the colors together, but don’t mix them entirely.
- Create the candy leaf mold. Take a washed and dried leaf and gently dip one side of the leaf while holding onto the stem. Remove the leaf and place it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes.
- Decorate the cupcakes. Peel the candy away from the leaf and discard the real leaf. Then top each cupcake with the fall candy leaves.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over mix the batter. Over mixing will cause the cupcakes to become dense, and lose that fluffy texture.
- Use a scoop to measure out the ingredients. Eyeballing it can run the risk of some cupcake baking faster or slower due to uneven distribution.
- Bake on the center rack in the oven. When the cupcakes are in the middle of the oven they bake more evenly.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time. When I make the frosting, I like to add the powdered sugar in 3 separate parts.
FAQs
The secret to getting moist cupcakes is to add moisture through butter, eggs, and heavy cream. You also want to have air bubbles that expand in the oven, keeping the cupcakes from turning into dense bricks. Using baking soda and baking powder, and beating the eggs until they are bubbly helps a lot.
You actually will be using pumpkin spice in these cupcakes, but it can’t replace the pumpkin puree that will add flavor as well as moisture to the batter. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling though, as this is full of sugar and spices and your cupcakes will land up with a wonky flavor if you do. 100% pumpkin puree is the way to go.
Serving Suggestions
These Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are the perfect fall dessert and they taste great with other dishes. Serve them after a great meal, alongside other desserts, or with a gourmet coffee.
- Meats: Serve these cupcakes as dessert after a dinner of Braised Beef Stew, Cedar Plank Salmon, or Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.
- Cookies: Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies, Double Chocolate Cookies (VIDEO), and Chewy Nutella Cookies can be plated with a slice of these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.
- Pies and cakes: Easy Oreo Cheesecake (VIDEO), Homemade Apple Pie, and Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO) will finish out your dessert table.
- Coffee: Serve this dessert with coffee, tea, or milk. Or try this Iced Caramel Macchiato, Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe, or Caramel Frappuccino Recipe (Starbucks Copycat).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can make the cupcakes and the frosting ahead of time. Store the cupcakes at room temperature and the frosting in the fridge. When you’re ready, just frost them and serve. You can also prep the candy leaves, storing in the fridge until you’re ready to add them.
Storing: Cover these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze: You can freeze these cupcakes in a ziplock freezer bag once they have cooled but before they are frosted. They will last for about 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then add frosting.
More Scrumptious Fall Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are the quintessential fall dessert everyone needs! My recipe makes this a simple but delicious treat you will love.
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Calories: 312kcal
Ingredients
For the candy leaves (optional)
Instructions
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Beat the eggs in a bowl for a minute or two using an electric beater. Then add the sugar and beat for another 4 minutes until the egg mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Then blend in the pumpkin purée.
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Pour the heavy whipping cream and melted butter into the bowl and mix thoroughly.
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Sift the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour into a separate bowl. Then add the dry ingredients to the batter in thirds, while gently folding the flour mixture each time.
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Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill about 18 of them issuing a large scoop. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
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Meanwhile beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon. Once it’s well mixed, add the powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth.
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Using a 2D Wilton piping tip, pipe the frosting onto each cooled cupcake in a circular motion. Then sprinkle with your favorite sprinkles. I used these Wilton Red Sanding Sugar sprinkles.
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How to create fall candy leaves-
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In three separate bowls, melt red, yellow, and orange candy melts in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
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Fill 3 Wilton piping bags with each color of candy melts and pipe out scattered dots of melted candy into a Wilton candy melting pot.
-
Using a toothpick, gently swirl the colors together, but don’t mix them entirely.
-
Take a washed and dried leaf and gently dip one side of the leaf while holding onto the stem. Remove the leaf and place it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes.
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Peal the candy away from the leaf and discard the real leaf. Then top each cupcake with the fall candy leaves.
Nutrition
Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 255mg | Potassium: 169mg | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 2445IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
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- All opinions are mine. I only promote products that I absolutely love.
Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!
