Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/4 tsp. kosher salt; 1 c. pure pumpkin; 2 tbsp. molasses (not blackstrap); 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 3/4 c. granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature; 2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature; 2 c. confectioners' sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Meet the #1 pick on our fall baking bucket list: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes!

By The Good Housekeeping Test KitchenUpdated: Jul 13, 2020

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pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Mike Garten

Yields:

12 serving(s)

Active Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Cal/Serv:

335

Now that the weather is chillier, this pumpkin spice cupcake recipe makes the perfect easy fall dessert you’ve certainly been craving. Pumpkin spice cupcakes hold a permanent spot on our fall baking bucket list, and with so many baking recipes we’re making this season, we needed a ridiculously delicious and easy pumpkin cupcake recipe worthy of our fall cupcake escapades. This recipe delivers, with plenty of pumpkin pie spice (usually made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice), pure pumpkin, and a few spoonfuls of spicy molasses for a complex sweetness that takes these treats to the next level ... and we haven’t even gotten to the luscious cream cheese frosting. The simple 4-ingredient icing is the perfect rich and creamy topping to the spicy-sweet cakes, and makes these quite possibly the best pumpkin cupcakes we’ve ever had.

Why, you ask? Besides the flavor-packed ingredients list, the recipe is also straightforward and easy to understand. Just combine the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, whip the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (this makes the cupcakes extra tender and airy!), mix it all together, transfer to a muffin tin, and bake while you sip on a cup of coffee (or a PSL, please), and wait for your entire house to smell like pure fall.

And because there is no such thing as *too many* pumpkin recipes, why not try out our warm and fluffy pumpkin pancakes or elegant and impressive pumpkin spice cake, too?

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Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup pure pumpkin
2 Tbsp. molasses (not blackstrap)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Step 1Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Step 2In medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, molasses, and vanilla.
3. Step 3In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in eggs, one at a time. Then alternately add flour and pumpkin mixture, beating until just combined.
4. Step 4Divide batter among muffin-pan cups (heaping 1/4 cup each) and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; let cool 5 minutes before removing cupcakes from pan to cool completely.
5. Step 5Make Cream Cheese Frosting: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. To serve, frost cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.