Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Recipe
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (for frosting)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (for frosting)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. This ensures your cupcakes don’t stick and makes cleanup much easier.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mixing the dry ingredients separately ensures the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until the mixture is fully combined and vibrant orange.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula. Be careful not to overmix the batter; stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing can lead to tough cupcakes.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla, beating on low speed until combined, then on high speed until light and fluffy. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.