Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 dozen.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup butter, softened; 2-1/2 cups sugar; 3 large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs; 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin; 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 cup buttermilk; FROSTING:; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup butter, softened; 4 cups confectioners' sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

This is a wonderful recipe I discovered and changed a bit to suit my taste. I love the flavor of pumpkin and the cinnamon makes ordinary cream cheese frosting extra special. When I made a batch for my husband to take to work, he said they disappeared in record time. —Debbie Wiggins, Longmont, Colorado

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 large Nellie’s Free Range Eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Fill 24 paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

Test Kitchen Tips

For tender baked goods like muffins and cakes, the key is to mix gently. It also helps to whisk your dry ingredients well first, before combining them with any wet ingredients.

These are bursting with autumn flavor, but if you want to take it over the top, try adding a little maple syrup to your frosting or a touch of maple extract to the cupcakes.

It's very easy to adjust the frosting consistency to your preference. Too stiff? Add milk a teaspoon at a time until the frosting is perfectly spreadable. Too thin? Beat in confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup at a time until thickened.

Nutrition Facts

1 cupcake: 340 calories, 14g fat (8g saturated fat), 62mg cholesterol, 233mg sodium, 53g carbohydrate (41g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.

Originally published as Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting in Fun Food 2009 Released to WEB

Reviews

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Tina

Nov 22, 2017

I made these last night..Followed the recipe completely. Didn't change a thing. They were amazing...I made them for my husband for work. They were gone quick he said. I will for sure be making these again.
ebramkamp

Nov 16, 2017

These are absolutely delicious. It is one of my favorite fall cakes to make. The cake has a nice spice and it's not dry. The cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch.
kemmesmomni

Nov 9, 2017

I just made these and the frosting seems awfully dense......shouldn't there be some milk or half and half mixed in with conf sugar to make it light and fluffy?
Hayley

Oct 25, 2017

Hello im about to make this recipe. One question can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?
Mary

Oct 22, 2017

Hi - I'm about to try these out. Do you use salted or unsalted butter?Update: Used salted butter - these are the best cupcakes I have ever cooked by far, and I'm not even a pumpkin fan! The pumpkin flavor is light and it balances so well with the cinammon cream cheese frosting! Thank you so much - I will be making these every fall for the rest of my life
goodcook2015

Oct 21, 2017

To Mary...I used salted butter and they turned out great. I only use unsalted if it's specified in the recipe.
Diana

Oct 17, 2017

This recipe is absolute perfection. I brought The cupcakes to a bake sale at work and couldn’t have gotten better reviews. I used powdered buttermilk, mixed in with the dry ingredients rather than liquid buttermilk, but the consistency was excellent; perfectly moist. These are perfect for Fall and I will make them over and over.
Maria

Sep 24, 2017

I used all organic ingredients. My husband gave these two thumbs up and said, 'intense pumpkin flavor!' Next time I make them, I will add raisins to the batter, and sprinkle crushed candied pecans over the frosting. Superb cupcakes and an easy recipe! Happy Fall, y'all!
Sarah

Sep 21, 2017

So good I'm making these for my fall wedding!! Making sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temp helped ensure a silky smooth frosting. The spice level in both the frosting and the cupcake is spot on. The cupcakes have fresh, pure ingredients so they're heavier/denser than box mix cupcakes. These are on my Top 5 Cupcakes list!
Kaelyn

Sep 19, 2017

These are the best!