Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Reviewed on Apr. 18, 2013 by syprice36

I love this recipe but I didn't actually go ingredient by ingredient. I accidentally forgot to add the canned pumpkin lol. I was ready to throw the batch out but to my surprise the cupcakes were very tasty. I even added a crumb topping to some. I did add a bit more buttermilk, cinnamon and pumpkin spice to my batch. I also omitted the ginger. I will be making this again and hopefully this time I will not forget the pumpkin.

Reviewed on Jan. 06, 2013 by Suzdwy

Excellent flavor and really easy. I was able to substitute Greek yogurt for the buttermilk and my cupcakes were great and perfectly moist. I was also able to do it without an electric mixer so that's a plus!

Reviewed on Jan. 01, 2013 by kjhicks01

This disappeared at our family Christmas Dinner. Easy to make (I cheated and used Whipped Cream Cheese frosting though) and very tasty. They don't puff up a lot, so fill the cups full - the cake is fairly heavy, but a good consistency. I will definitely be making these again!

Reviewed on Dec. 26, 2012 by TeresaWitt

Easy to make, moist, and delicious!

Reviewed on Dec. 15, 2012 by sstetzel

Believe it or not - I have purchased bad powder before.  You can test the freshness of your powder by putting a few tablespoons of warm water (warm tap water is fine, but cold water is not) into a small bowl and adding a teaspoon of baking powder. It should make a fizzing noise and then the baking powder will begin to fizz and the water will become very cloudy with tiny bubbles. The more bubbles, the fresher the baking powder.

The other thing you should do is double check your oven temperature.  Oven thermometers are inexpensive and imperative to baking.  My own oven tends to run hot.

Reviewed on Dec. 15, 2012 by cmannequin

I was so eager to try this reciped for a friend who loves pumpkin spiced cupcakes. I made this recipe to the T; using all of the same ingredients, following the instructions exactly, and making sure to bake them at the right temperature and everything. I dont understand, but my cupcakes are coming out songey/mushy, and not rising at all. I dont think its the baking powder, because I just bought a new one the other day. If anyone knows why this is happening, Id really appreciate it if you could let me know ): Really sad the batter and frosting will all have to go to waste.

Reviewed on Dec. 01, 2012 by supersportgirl

Fantastic cupcakes!! They were a huge hit and people keep asking me for the recipe. Instead of pumpkin pie spice i just added some extra cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. These cupcakes really taste like a pumpkin pie, not just a spice cake. Loved the frosting as well, the cinammon adds that extra special taste. Would definitely recommend trying.

Reviewed on Nov. 29, 2012 by Blbstrbrb

I made these cupcakes four time over the Thanksgiving holiday for friends and family. They are unbelieveable. Huge reviews from all. I did add more pumpkin spice and cinnamon to batter. Also added more cinnamon to frosting. Wonderful, moist and delicious. This is a keeper recipe!

Reviewed on Nov. 27, 2012 by amberosu

These cupcakes have rave reviews for a reason, they are amazing. You won't regret it if you try them!

Reviewed on Nov. 24, 2012 by TerriB3

simple and delicious! The spiced frosting was the star of these cupcakes. I topped mine with a few slivered almonds as a nice garnish. Great recipe!

Reviewed on Nov. 20, 2012 by mknoll

These were fantastic! Everyone who has tried them wants more than one. The recipe made 2 dozen cupcakes, but in the future think I will cut the frosting in half. There was A LOT of it left over.

Reviewed on Nov. 15, 2012 by iyons

Everyone loved them I'm making them again for Thanksgiving.

Reviewed on Nov. 13, 2012 by smgris

Not only is this recipe simple, it is absolutely fabulous. These home made cupcakes come out perfect every time, with just the right amount of spice. The are moist and delish! The icing is the perfect compliment to these tasty morsels... I will make them again and again.

Reviewed on Nov. 12, 2012 by 1Christin

I don't usually bake but stumbled across this recipe while searching for a pumpkin dessert. I live at 8K feet so cakes are a real challenge! This is delicious and easy. I followed it and added half a walnut to the tops. It made exactly 24 perfect cupcakes and the frosting was the right amount. I took them for dessert to a gathering and they were a huge hit!

Reviewed on Nov. 11, 2012 by melimel

This is a fabulous recipe! My friend wanted a good seasonal cupcake recipe after she volunteered to bake desserts for another friend's November baby shower. I volunteered to help, and after baking a test batch, we made just a couple of alterations. For the "pumpkin spice" we used fresh ground cloves and nutmeg, about a tablespoon and a half total of approximately equal parts nutmeg and clove, and we increased the cinnamon by a half teaspoon.

For my palate, I'd add even more spice in the future, likely the nutmeg and clove, but generally the spice level seems good for most people. I decreased the amount of sugar in the frosting by a half cup, and might even reduce it by a full cup in the future, along with adding about 1/4 cup more cream cheese. We also added about 1/2 to 3/4 of a vanilla bean (split the bean and scrape out), along with the cinnamon, which made it a really rich tasting frosting.

If you have a pastry bag with decorative frosting tips you can frost them that way, and the cupcakes look professionally made, nice to take to parties and holiday events. To top them off we sprinkled finely chopped candied ginger on top of the finished frosting.

Reviewed on Nov. 08, 2012 by keepinupwthejones

I made these for a teachers luncheon and kept a dozen for my family. I haven't heard anything back yet from the teachers or PTA but the ones in my house were gone within 2 days! They are moist and taste like pumpkin pie in a wrapper! I am making again today to take to a friend who just had a baby and we will keep the rest! Yum!

Reviewed on Nov. 06, 2012 by urdc98

Terrific recipe - think they are even better the next day! Without the frosting they make a wonderful muffin! :-)

Reviewed on Oct. 30, 2012 by IslandWife

Wow! These are amazing! I used 1/4 C applesauce and 1/2 cup butter as opposed to 3/4 C butter. They are so moist and flavorful! Thanks for sharing!!

Reviewed on Oct. 28, 2012 by jblegen

The BEST dessert I've ever had! They are mouth watering and you can't just have one.

Reviewed on Oct. 27, 2012 by chascocountry

I buy a small container of buttermilk, use what I need and freeze the rest in 1 cup increments in labeled freezer bags..lay them flat til they freeze then you can stand them up for easier storage

Reviewed on Oct. 27, 2012 by amcoffeebean

Using pureéd fresh pumpkin would likely alter the taste of this recipe quite a bit, if not drastically. I am a huge fan of using fresh pumpkin substitute an many pumpkin recipes though, and happy to learn someone has provided guidance to alter, thanks keverwann. But I made it with canned pumpkin exactly as written because of the raves and they turned out fabulous! Definitely a keeper here!

Reviewed on Oct. 22, 2012 by jmperez

Followed this recipe exactly and they are AMAZING!!!!

Reviewed on Oct. 17, 2012 by emily_r

I thought this recipe was great. I put hershey's cinnamon and premier white chips in them as well and they turned out great!

Reviewed on Oct. 13, 2012 by little baking master

I simply loved these cupcakes. Delicious and very easy the one thing I did to improve them was add 2 tablespoons of grade A maple syrup to the frostings to kick up the fall flavors. Also to anyone having trouble with to runny frosting your butter or cream cheese was to soft!!

Reviewed on Oct. 10, 2012 by freebrd

Yummy and so cute!

Reviewed on Oct. 05, 2012 by katieleigh3508

Great cupcakes! I cut the frosting in half as suggested by other users but ran out with 4 cupcakes left. I decorated the cupcakes exactly as pictured. I would suggest making a full batch of the frosting and freezing any leftovers for future baking projects. It is delicious!

Reviewed on Oct. 04, 2012 by keverwann

Worth the work!

I used homemade pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cup) instead of the canned pumpkin, made my own pumpkin pie spice, and used soured milk instead of the buttermilk.

I think the recipe needed a little less liquid on the day I made it, but I went against my better judgement and used all the recipe called for. Thus, the cupcakes didn't set fast enough in the oven and had "hat brims" of batter that cooked over the top of the liners instead of rising in a nice dome.

I also made half of the frosting (as suggested by previous reviewers) and it covered all 30 (not 24 as the recipe claims) cupcakes nicely. The frosting tasted very good despite the fact that it calls for (what I think is) a lot of cinnamon.

As to why frosting might not be setting up (as mentioned by Alie0717): If you make cream cheese frosting with low-fat (Neufchatel cheese) or fat-free cream cheese, it doesn't have the fat required to whip up and set the frosting. Soupy cream cheese frosting can be fixed by using only full-fat or regular cream cheese. Remember, the cream cheese is replacing butter in quick buttercream frosting to make cream cheese frosting.

Reviewed on Oct. 04, 2012 by jeanchic30

This recipe was yum-o. Loved the cinnamon spice in it. Gave some to the fire house and they loved them too.

Will make them again

Reviewed on Oct. 03, 2012 by amberharden

This was so good. My family really loved them.

Reviewed on Oct. 02, 2012 by Alie0717

This recipe is delicious HOWEVER I have made it more than once and the frosting is always super liquidy, no clue why I've even tried making it with extra powdered sugar

Reviewed on Sep. 28, 2012 by Azantei

I've had this recipe for a while but didn't make them until this year. Boy did I regret that! These were the best cupcakes I've ever made. My boyfriend won't let me share them with anybody! I brought them to work and everyone wanted the recipe. I'll be making these every year for the rest of my life, more than likely. : )

Reviewed on Sep. 18, 2012 by asisson10

These cupcakes are awesome!

Reviewed on Sep. 15, 2012 by Tienker

This is a great recipe. I made it for the guys Poker Night and they loved it!!

Reviewed on Aug. 23, 2012 by christiewerner

seriously the best cupcakes ive ever made.

Reviewed on Jul. 23, 2012 by Rachdeere

just made for the 1st time for my county fair extension project and walked away with Grand Champion! :) Only thing I did different was the frosting because of cream cheese restrictions- so used a buttercream instead with a touch of cinnamon added- but this recipe is to die for! SOOOO moist! and I'm not a huge pumpkin fan but these are great! Would HIGHLY recommend! They also make about 30 cupcakes so for a big batch - great recipe. Maybe for just my family I might cut in half.

Reviewed on Feb. 07, 2012 by sebloun

Delicious and so moist! I added about 1/2 cup of applesauce to make them extra moist and they taste great!

Reviewed on Feb. 04, 2012 by Tiffysimone

This recipe is AWESOME!!! I've made it twice now and both times it has come out moist and delicious...It has awesome texture...light and fluffy! This is my new go to recipe for cupcakes for sure!

Reviewed on Jan. 24, 2012 by mchriste

Very moist and delicious. However, the amount of icing this recipe makes is way more than you need. I halved the recipe, put it on thick and still had some left over.

Reviewed on Jan. 13, 2012 by macero

made these cupcakes tonight and my son and i loved them!!!! will definetively make again. thanks for sharing.

Reviewed on Dec. 21, 2011 by KKandRyansMom

My daughter made these and they were devine! She used nutmeg for ginger since we didn't have any. And instead of buying buttermilk for this one recipe, she used the milk/vinegar substitute. Wonderful!! I hope she makes these again!

Reviewed on Dec. 18, 2011 by sonyjim10

Everyone was so impressed when I made these--LOVE THEM!!

Reviewed on Dec. 17, 2011 by adprybylski

This recipie is always a winner at my house. It's also popular for school bake sales and events. I have had friends who do not like pumpkin eat these up and ask for seconds. They might not like pumkin pie, but this pumpkin spice cupcake is a winner!

Reviewed on Dec. 13, 2011 by tori.lastinger

I made these cupcakes for a holiday party and everyone loved them. I made it exactly according to the recipe. This could definitely make about 30 cupcakes if you wanted to stretch it. Instead of the stars like the picture, I used a round tip to make a swirl design that turned out really cute.

Reviewed on Dec. 05, 2011 by spiker1

wonderfull taste and texture

Reviewed on Nov. 30, 2011 by woodley37

These get rave reviews every time I make them!

Reviewed on Nov. 28, 2011 by schuttfam

I have made this recipe and have reviewed already, I was wondering if anyone has made this as a bread using loaf pans? Its SO good as cupcakes, I would love to make it as bread, any input appreciated, thanks!! :-)

Reviewed on Nov. 26, 2011 by Annieland

Incredible recipe. Used fresh pumpkin, came out so moist and rich. Used leftover frosting on everything, including cheesecake and pumpkin pie.

Reviewed on Nov. 23, 2011 by AgentTerry

These were good but I did take others advice and cut the sugar down to 2 cups and they were still a little sweet for me but yummy all the same!

Reviewed on Nov. 20, 2011 by brkornhaus

These got my finicky husband's stamp of approval as an acceptable substitute for pumpkin roll at Thanksgiving. I piped the frosting on with a star tip as shown and had a lot left over. Will make a half-batch of frosting next time.

Reviewed on Nov. 20, 2011 by mwilsonrdh

easy to make and a huge hit!

Reviewed on Nov. 17, 2011 by ziskins1

Everyone I gave a cupcake to LOVED it! They were by far some of the best cupcakes I have ever had! I have already made them twice and plan on making them again for the holidays.

Reviewed on Nov. 14, 2011 by larissa766

delish! the icing is fantastic!

Reviewed on Nov. 11, 2011 by raedawn10

These cupcakes are so delicious! Everybody that tried them said they were the best cupcakes they ever had. I will definitely make these cupcakes again.

Reviewed on Nov. 09, 2011 by marie1206

I've never had so many compliments and requests for recipes as I've had with these yummy cupcakes! They were a hit with adults as well as kids at our church potluck. It tends to make more than 24 cupcakes which was fine with me! Definately a keeper in my recipe box!!

Reviewed on Nov. 08, 2011 by dollbabe_is

These cupcakes are amazing. My husband who rarely comments on my cooking asked where I have been hiding this recipe and my 9 yr old daughter asked if I could make them for her class. Followed recipe exactly. Swirled frosting on with pampered chef accent decorator. Have had several people ask for the recipe.

Reviewed on Nov. 08, 2011 by trl66

I make this recipe for my Bunko ladies and these cupcakes were a huge hit!!! One lady said it was the best cupcake she had ever eaten. All asked for the recipe. Very easy to make and will make over and over.

Reviewed on Nov. 07, 2011 by Amy_Rose

Great recipe! Very moist and easy to make. Big hit with my family :) will definitely make again.

Reviewed on Nov. 04, 2011 by patriroqt

I made these last week and decorated them to look like pumpkins. Looked cute and tasted amazing!! They were a hit and I'll prolly make them again tonight since I have so much leftover frosting... And I colored the frosting orange to look like a pumpkin so if I don't use it now, I probably never will

Reviewed on Nov. 03, 2011 by krazykrisy

These cupcakes came out very moist and delicious. I only used 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar in the frosting recipe and a teaspoon of the cinnamon. Though next time I will use the full 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in the frosting next time.

Reviewed on Nov. 03, 2011 by anneliz

These are awesome! I iced these as mummies for our school fair. Everyone loved them!!!!

Reviewed on Nov. 01, 2011 by kathydew

I can't get canned pumpkin. How much cooked pumpkin is equal to this?

Reviewed on Oct. 31, 2011 by MsLanaKay

Took these to work this morning, they didn't even make it to 1st break!! All man environment, they thought they were completely outstanding and want me to make more for tomorrow! Good Stuff!

Reviewed on Oct. 31, 2011 by LindsayLou10

Delicious! Better than I expected!

Reviewed on Oct. 31, 2011 by mboeckman

These pumpkin cupcakes are undeniable the best we have ever had. A little "heavy" but very moist and the flavor is just perfect. After reading comments about not getting the "peak" on the frosting, I set my frosting bag in the fridge for about an hour before using and it harden up enough to create beautiful peaks!! I will definately be making these again and again.

Reviewed on Oct. 31, 2011 by noniegould

I made this as a bundt cake -- very moist and delicious. A little too sweet for my taste with the frosting, so will make it again without frosting and perhaps will cut down on sugar.

Reviewed on Oct. 31, 2011 by noniegould

I made a bundt cake instead of cupcakes. It's a very moist cake, very yummy although very sweet. It didn't even need frosting but was yummy nevertheless. I'm going to make it again but will use less sugar.

Reviewed on Oct. 30, 2011 by evelynkreed

This was a real hit with my family. We will have this instead of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving!

Reviewed on Oct. 30, 2011 by Sherangel

Yummy, moist, tasty cupcakes. I made 2 batches...one for us (some to freeze) and one for the potluck at church today. Everyone loved them and complemented on the spicy flavor and tasty cinnamon frosting. I just spread the frosting on top. It firms up after sitting for awhile! So good. I'll make them again and again.

Reviewed on Oct. 29, 2011 by llongaker

This was delicious! Even though the frosting was a little liquidy it still had a great flavor. The cupcake itself was great! we'll definitely make this again.

Reviewed on Oct. 27, 2011 by sent97756

I used a different frosting, but the cupcakes are very moist and tasty.

Reviewed on Oct. 21, 2011 by Colette Smith

Awesome!

Reviewed on Oct. 19, 2011 by CHOPCHOP0413

These cupcakes are GREAT .... Made these last year for the 1st time They were a bit hit.... will make them again this year ......ENJOY....

Reviewed on Oct. 19, 2011 by CHOPCHOP0413

these cupcakes were a great hit....... got the recipe from my friends son when he posted it on his facebook page enjoy.........going to make them again this year....

Reviewed on Oct. 16, 2011 by mmm102

These cupcakes were so easy and delicious! Perfect for fall :)

Reviewed on Oct. 16, 2011 by Starfulcher

I would suggest trying a piping bag with a star tip if it seems too soft put in freezer for a few mins to harden it some and that may help  Hope this works for you

Reviewed on Oct. 09, 2011 by wombie

Made these for a get together yesterday, they were fabulous! However, Sledchick, my frosting was spreadable I couldn't get it to peak either. But still very delicious!

Reviewed on Oct. 05, 2011 by 282778

I made these for a party I was hosting on a chilly fall evening and they were fantastic and a huge hit! They turned out very moist and the flavor was wonderful. I cut the frosting recipe in half and am glad I did because this was plenty. I tried them with and without the frosting and liked them both ways. The frosting is not necessary but really does make them just a little more special. They went well with the spiced hot apple cider I served and I will make these again.

Reviewed on Oct. 02, 2011 by maryclark518

I have made these twice and they are a huge hit! Easy to make and delicious! They will make your kitchen smell yummy!

Reviewed on Sep. 22, 2011 by sledchick

These are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A hit at my work for our potluck! But one question......have made these a few times but, never have been able to peak the frosting? Is the picture with canned frosting? Anyone else have this problem.....either way the frosting is still amazing, its just spread on there!

Reviewed on Aug. 21, 2011 by Starfulcher

My kids loved this. My 4 year old wasn't so sure when I put the canned pumpkin in but loved it in the end. Everyone said they were good.

Reviewed on Aug. 10, 2011 by bethstrick

Made this in the fall and took them to work. Everyone raved over them. Very moist and delicious!

Reviewed on Jun. 04, 2011 by Blcan

These are so moist and tasty and pretty too! I make these whenever I have guests over during the fall season!