Irresistible Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting: Your Ultimate Fall Treat
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Prepare to discover your new favorite fall dessert: these phenomenal Pumpkin Cupcakes! Bursting with all the cozy flavors of autumn, this recipe is surprisingly simple to master, even for novice bakers. Each bite offers an incredibly soft and moist pumpkin cupcake, featuring a tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth. But what truly elevates these autumnal delights is the smooth, luscious brown sugar cream cheese frosting, a perfect complement to the warm spices of the pumpkin. Whether you’re a devoted pumpkin enthusiast or simply looking for the ideal treat to celebrate the season, these cupcakes are guaranteed to impress and become a staple in your fall baking repertoire.
There’s something truly magical about the aroma of pumpkin and warm spices filling your kitchen, especially when it leads to these delicious and easy-to-make pumpkin cupcakes. Our recipe stands out for its remarkably soft texture, rich pumpkin flavor, and that irresistible brown sugar cream cheese frosting. The combination creates a dessert that’s not just a treat, but an experience. These moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin cupcakes are ideal for any gathering during the fall season, from a cozy family evening to a festive holiday celebration.
Seeking more delightful cupcake creations? Be sure to explore our other popular recipes like the decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes, the classic and vibrant Red Velvet Cupcakes, and the intensely rich Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes. Each offers a unique flavor profile perfect for any sweet craving!
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WHY THIS RECIPE IS A MUST-TRY
- Irresistible Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting: This isn’t just any frosting; it’s a game-changer. The brown sugar adds a deep, caramelized sweetness that perfectly complements the tang of cream cheese, creating a rich, smooth, and utterly delicious topping that elevates these cupcakes from great to extraordinary. Its creamy texture provides a luxurious contrast to the fluffy cake.
- Perfectly Soft and Tender Pumpkin Cupcakes: Forget dry, crumbly cupcakes. Our pumpkin cupcake base is crafted for ultimate softness and moisture, boasting a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. The pumpkin puree and oil contribute to an incredibly moist texture, ensuring every bite is pure bliss. Plus, they come together quickly and easily, making them a stress-free baking project.
- A True Showstopper for Any Occasion: These cupcakes are designed to impress! While they are easy to make, their elegant presentation makes them perfect for holiday gatherings, potlucks, or simply as a special treat. You can elevate their appearance with charming little fondant pumpkins, or for a simpler touch, a dusting of pumpkin spice or cinnamon provides a beautiful finish and an extra layer of flavor. They’re visually stunning and taste even better!
ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT NOTES
To achieve the perfect pumpkin cupcakes, the quality and preparation of your ingredients are key. Below are important notes on some of the main components. For a complete list of all ingredients and precise measurements, please refer to the detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation of our cupcakes, all-purpose flour helps create a light and airy texture. For the best results, I recommend using a brand with a protein content between 10-11%. This specific range ensures your cupcakes have enough structure to hold their shape without becoming overly dense or tough.
- Dark brown sugar: While granulated sugar provides sweetness, dark brown sugar is crucial for adding a rich, deep molasses flavor that translates into wonderful toffee notes within the cupcakes. It also contributes to the moistness and tender crumb of the final product, complementing the pumpkin beautifully.
- Baking powder & baking soda: These are your leavening agents, working in tandem to give the cupcakes their characteristic light and fluffy texture. Baking powder provides an initial lift, while baking soda reacts with the acidic components (like pumpkin puree) to create additional rise, ensuring your cupcakes are beautifully domed and soft.
- Salt: A small but mighty ingredient, salt doesn’t just add salinity; it enhances and balances all the other flavors in the cupcakes, particularly the sweetness and the warmth of the spices. Don’t skip it!
- Eggs: Eggs act as binders, providing structure and richness to the cupcake batter. For optimal emulsification and a smoother batter, ensure your eggs are at room temperature before baking. This typically means taking them out of the fridge 1-2 hours prior, depending on your kitchen’s warmth.
- Vegetable oil: Using a flavor-neutral oil, such as canola oil, is essential. Oil contributes significantly to the cupcakes’ moistness and tender crumb, often more so than butter in certain recipes. It keeps the cupcakes soft for longer without imparting any unwanted flavors.
- Pumpkin puree: This is the star ingredient! Always use plain canned pumpkin puree, or fresh homemade puree, and never pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains added spices and sweeteners that will alter the flavor balance of your cupcakes. If you’d like to make your own, refer to our helpful FAQ section further down the blog post for detailed instructions.
- Pumpkin spice: This aromatic blend ties all the fall flavors together. You can use a high-quality store-bought pumpkin spice mix, or for an even fresher, more vibrant taste, make your own! We’ve included a recipe for a homemade pumpkin spice blend in the notes section of the recipe card below. Adding this spice blend to the muffins truly enhances and deepens the natural pumpkin flavor.
- Cream cheese: For the decadent cream cheese frosting, full-fat cream cheese is non-negotiable. Its rich, tangy profile and firm texture are crucial for achieving a stable, pipeable, and incredibly flavorful frosting. Low-fat versions can make the frosting too thin and watery.
STEP-BY-STEP BAKING INSTRUCTIONS
Creating these delicious Pumpkin Cupcakes is a rewarding process, and with our clear step-by-step guide, you’ll find it surprisingly easy. You’ll need an electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer), two large mixing bowls, a whisk, and a rubber spatula to get started.
Find the complete recipe with all measurements and detailed timing in the recipe card located further down below.
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 160ºC (320ºF) for a conventional oven setting. Prepare a 12-cup cupcake tin by lining each cavity with cupcake paper liners. This ensures easy removal and prevents sticking.
STEP 1: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Use a whisk to gently aerate and mix these dry ingredients together, ensuring there are no lumps and everything is evenly distributed. This step is crucial for an even rise and consistent flavor.
STEP 2: Prepare Wet Ingredients. In a separate, second large mixing bowl, add all of your wet ingredients: the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Using a hand whisk, vigorously whisk these ingredients together until they are well combined and smooth. This creates a uniform base for your wet components.
STEP 3: Incorporate Wet into Dry & Bake. Carefully pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl with your dry ingredients. Using either a whisk or a rubber spatula, gently stir everything together until just combined. It’s very important not to overmix the batter; overmixing can lead to tough cupcakes. Mix only until no pockets of dry flour remain. Once mixed, use a large cookie scoop or a spoon to evenly divide the cupcake batter among the 12 prepared cupcake liners. Bake them in your preheated oven for approximately 23-24 minutes, or until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. After baking, remove the tin from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the tin on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. This brief resting period helps them set. Then, gently remove the cupcakes from the tin and transfer them directly onto the wire rack to cool down completely. Ensuring they are fully cool is vital before frosting.
STEP 4: Prepare the Frosting Base. While your cupcakes are cooling, begin preparing the exquisite brown sugar cream cheese frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and dark brown sugar. Beat on high speed for a full 5 minutes. This extended creaming time is crucial for incorporating air and creating a light, fluffy base. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well combined, and then mix for another 2 minutes.
STEP 5: Add Flavor and Cream Cheese. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the vanilla bean extract and the softened full-fat cream cheese. Cream these ingredients together with the butter mixture for just 1 minute. Be careful not to overmix the cream cheese, as this can make the frosting too soft. Next, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in two separate parts. Allow the first half of the powdered sugar to fully incorporate with the butter and cream cheese before adding the second half. This prevents a cloud of sugar and ensures a smooth consistency.
STEP 6: Finish and Frost. After all the powdered sugar is incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl once more and give the frosting a final mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until it’s light, fluffy, and smooth. Transfer the finished buttercream frosting into a piping bag fitted with your preferred round piping tip (a Wilton 1M tip works beautifully for elegant swirls). Pipe generous amounts of frosting onto each cooled cupcake. For an optional decorative touch, you can add small fondant pumpkins, or simply dust the frosted cupcakes with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice or cinnamon for an extra layer of aroma and visual appeal. Your delightful pumpkin cupcakes are now ready to be served and enjoyed!
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR PERFECT CUPCAKES
- Embrace the Kitchen Scale: For consistent and professional-level baking results, a kitchen scale is your best friend. My recipes are developed using precise gram measurements because it eliminates inconsistencies inherent in volumetric (cup) measurements, where flour can be packed differently each time. Using a scale guarantees you’re adding the exact amount of each ingredient, leading to the perfect texture and flavor for your pumpkin cupcakes every single time.
- Avoid Overmixing the Batter: This is a golden rule in baking, especially for cupcakes. Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until they are just incorporated and no streaks of dry flour remain. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can lead to tough, dense cupcakes instead of the light, tender ones we’re aiming for. I always give the batter a final gentle fold with a rubber spatula after using the mixer, just to ensure everything at the bottom of the bowl is fully mixed in without overworking it.
- Choose the Right Baking Pans: The color and material of your baking pans significantly impact how your cupcakes bake. For the best, most evenly baked and softest cupcakes, opt for light-colored aluminum baking pans. Aluminum conducts heat gently and evenly, preventing the edges from baking too quickly and drying out. If you use dark-colored metal pans, they absorb more heat, which can lead to a darker crust and potentially a drier cupcake. Always line your cupcake tins with paper liners for easy removal and to help maintain moisture.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Knowing when your cupcakes are done is crucial for that ideal moist and fluffy texture. The most reliable method is the classic toothpick or cake tester test. Gently insert a wooden toothpick or a thin cake tester into the center of one of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it, your cupcakes are ready! If there are still moist crumbs, give them another 2-3 minutes in the oven and retest until clean. Avoid overbaking, as this can lead to dry cupcakes.
Absolutely! These pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for making ahead, which can be a real time-saver. You can prepare and bake the unfrosted cupcakes 1-2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their freshness. For the frosting, prepare it up to 1 week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to frost, take the frosting out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Before piping, give it a quick stir or a whip in your stand mixer on low speed for a minute to remove any air bubbles and restore its creamy consistency. Once frosted, the cupcakes are ready to be enjoyed!
Making your own pumpkin puree is incredibly simple and can offer an even fresher flavor profile for your cupcakes. Start by preheating your oven to 200ºC (390ºF) for a conventional oven. Take a small baking pumpkin, such as a hokkaido or sugar pie pumpkin, and carefully cut it in half. Scoop out all the seeds and fibrous strands. Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Roast in the preheated oven until the pumpkin is fork-tender, which usually takes about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your pumpkin. Once soft, carefully scrape out the cooked pumpkin flesh and transfer it to a blender or food processor. Blend until you achieve a perfectly smooth puree. Allow it to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a week.
Achieving the perfect cream cheese frosting consistency is key. If your frosting is too soft or runny, it might be because your cream cheese or butter was too warm, or it was overmixed. To fix this, place the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to firm up slightly, then re-whip it. If it’s still too soft, you can gradually add a tablespoon of sifted powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If your frosting is too firm, it’s likely too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a bit, then re-whip on low speed until smooth and pliable. Avoid adding milk or cream unless absolutely necessary, as it can thin it out too much.
HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PIE SPICE BLEND
Elevate the flavor of your pumpkin treats with a fresh batch of homemade pumpkin pie spice! Simply combine 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon of ground cloves, and ¾ teaspoon of ground allspice. Mix thoroughly until all spices are evenly distributed. Store this aromatic blend in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard to maintain its potency and freshness. This homemade mix offers a richer, more vibrant flavor than many store-bought versions.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
To maintain the freshness and deliciousness of your frosted Pumpkin Cupcakes, it’s best to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cream cheese frosting requires refrigeration to stay fresh and stable. When you’re ready to indulge, take them out of the fridge and allow them to sit on the kitchen counter for about 20-30 minutes before enjoying. This brings the frosting and cake to a more pleasant eating temperature, enhancing their flavors and soft texture. For the best taste and quality, these cupcakes are ideally enjoyed within 1-2 days of baking.
Other Delicious Fall Recipes To Try
- Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
- Gooey Pecan Pie Brownies with Brown Butter
- Giant Cinnamon Rolls (Soft, Gooey Tangzhong Milk Bread Rolls)
- Chocolate Coffee Pie – Silky Chocolate Coffee Pastry Cream and Whipped Mascarpone Cream
If you loved baking and tasting this recipe, please make sure to leave a STAR REVIEW below! Your feedback is incredibly valuable. And don’t forget to share your beautiful creations on Instagram by tagging me @juliemarieeats. For more culinary inspiration and ideas, be sure to follow me on Pinterest.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
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Equipment
- 12-cup cupcake pan
Ingredients
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice (see notes below to make your own)
- 225 g dark brown sugar
- 280 g pumpkin purée room temperature (see FAQ on how to make it homemade)
- 75 g vegetable oil room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 200 g unsalted butter room temperature, cubed
- 15 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 345 g powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
PUMPKIN CUPCAKES
- Preheat your oven to 160ºC/320ºF (conventional oven setting). Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with 12 paper cupcake liners, ensuring each cavity is ready for batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt until thoroughly combined and free of lumps.170 g all-purpose flour, 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice, 225 g dark brown sugar
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together until they are fully combined and smooth.280 g pumpkin purée, 75 g vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients mixture into the dry ingredients. Gently fold and stir everything together with a whisk or a rubber spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as no dry flour is visible in the batter.
- Using a large cookie scoop or spoon, divide the cupcake batter evenly among the 12 prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 23-24 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, gently remove them from the cupcake tin and place them directly on the wire rack to cool down completely before frosting.
BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- If using European-style cream cheese, which can be softer, place it between a few pieces of paper towels and gently press to remove any excess water. This helps create a firmer frosting.
- Ensure your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature (take them out of the fridge at least 10 minutes before starting). Cut the room temperature butter into cubes. Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps, ensuring a smooth frosting.200 g unsalted butter, 100 g full-fat cream cheese, 345 g powdered sugar
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and dark brown sugar together on high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue mixing for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.15 g dark brown sugar
- Add the vanilla extract and room temperature cream cheese to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute until just combined. Avoid overmixing at this stage.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more. On low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in two parts, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next. Once all sugar is added, scrape the bowl again and mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes to achieve a light and airy consistency.
- Transfer the finished frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred round piping tip (e.g., Wilton 1A or 1M). Pipe generous swirls of frosting onto each completely cooled cupcake. Optionally, decorate with charming fondant pumpkins or a light dusting of pumpkin spice or cinnamon for an extra festive touch.
Notes
For the freshest and most aromatic pumpkin spice, you can easily make your own. Simply mix together 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon of ground cloves, and ¾ teaspoon of ground allspice. Store this blend in an airtight container in your pantry, and it will keep for months, ready to infuse your fall baking with warmth.