Autumn Bliss in Every Bite: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!

These homemade pumpkin spice cupcakes are oh-so-tender and bursting with pumpkin flavor, thanks to the fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Add the quintessential cream cheese frosting and you have the perfect fall treat.

Photo bySouthern plate

Jump to Recipe

I just love this time of year. Not only is fall baking on the rise like for this pumpkin spice cupcakes recipe, but fall breezes are the perfect remedy after our sweltering summers in the south. These pumpkin cupcakes are one of my favorite fall recipes and here are a few reasons why:

• They’re made from scratch. I love a cake mix as much as the next person, but sometimes I put in that little extra effort. Fortunately, you only need the baking essentials to make these homemade cupcakes, like flour, butter, eggs, and sugar.
• These cupcakes are so easy to make. It’s just a matter of combining the dry ingredients and then adding the wet ingredients. That’s it!
• They’re positively bursting with pumpkin flavor! You can use either fresh pumpkin or canned, but this moist addition just makes the cupcakes so much more tender that they’ll practically melt in your mouth. I’m warning you now! We also can’t forget the pumpkin pie spice, either.
• They include cream cheese icing. I mean, can you bake a pumpkin recipe without cream cheese icing? If you look at the recipes on this blog (looking at you, pumpkin bars and pumpkin cake) the answer is no. Spoiler: we also pipe the icing into each pumpkin spice cupcake as well as on top, because it’s proven that cream cheese filling makes everything better.
• Did I mention they taste absolutely delicious? If you love any kind of sweet pumpkin treat, I just know you’ll love these pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Serve them as a pick-me-up with a hot beverage this fall and you won’t know how you survived without this recipe in your life.

Okay, who’s ready to get baking?

Recipe Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 heaping tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Photo bySouthern Plate

In a large bowl, place your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and sugar.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Mix it up well.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Add your eggs and pumpkin.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Mix that on up until smooth.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Line a muffin tin with muffin papers and evenly fill the 12 muffin cups.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Bake those at 350 for 20 minutes or press the center to see if it springs back when pressed lightly.

Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator or if you just can’t wait (and I don’t blame ya) at room temperature.

Photo bySouthern Plate

How to make the cream cheese frosting

Combine your icing ingredients in a mixing bowl. I am talking about the confectioner’s sugar, butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.

Beat this until smooth and creamy.

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Now fill a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) with icing and seal it shut.

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Take the pointed tip and push it into each pumpkin spice cupcake about halfway like in the picture above.

Give it a good squeeze.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Some will have more icing than others but that’s ok.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Place a big dollop of icing on top of each pumpkin cupcake and spread.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Gosh, those are pretty!

I store these in the refrigerator.

Photo bySouthern Plate

Perfect with coffee or tea anytime, a dessert or shoot, have it for breakfast too!

Storage

Store leftover pumpkin pie cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze frosted or unfrosted cupcakes for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before serving.

Recipe Notes

• To make cinnamon cream cheese frosting instead, add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the frosting.
• Alternatively, if you’d prefer maple cream cheese frosting, add 1 teaspoon of maple extract.
• If you like, substitute the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
• Want to add some fun mix-ins? I’d recommend 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, chopped pecans (bonus points if they’re toasted pecans), or coconut flakes.
• If using canned pumpkin, remember you want pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter is pre-sweetened.
• Serve your pumpkin cupcakes with a drizzle of caramel sauce, chopped Heath bars, or an additional sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice to take them to the next level.

Recipe FAQs

What to do if I don’t have a piping bag?

You can use a piping bag if you have one but what I do is get a gallon freezer bag and then I place a big piece of tape over one corner of it before snipping off the point. Insert whatever icing tip you can find, preferably one with a point on it, and you’re ready to go.

What is in pumpkin pie spice?

Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, and sometimes allspice as well. To make homemade pumpkin pie spice, combine 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 1/2 teaspoon each of allspice and ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cloves.

Can I make mini pumpkin cupcakes?

Yes, this recipe will make approximately 30 mini cupcakes. Just follow the directions and then place the batter in the mini muffin tin instead and bake for about 13 minutes. If you want to pipe the icing into the mini cupcakes, be extra careful.