Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful pumpkin cupcakes topped with a rich brown sugar cream cheese frosting. Perfectly spiced with a homemade pumpkin spice blend, these cupcakes offer a balance of autumnal warmth and sweetness, making them an ideal treat for fall gatherings or any festive occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
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)
- 75 g vegetable oil (room temperature)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g butter
- 15 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 345 g powdered sugar (sifted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your conventional oven to 160ºC (320ºF) and line a 12-cup cupcake tray with cupcake liners to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Stir them together thoroughly to ensure even distribution of leavening agents and spices.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
- Combine Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, stir gently until the batter is uniform and no dry flour remains.
- Fill and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners. Bake in the preheated oven for 23-24 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, carefully remove them from the tray to cool completely at room temperature.
- Prepare Frosting: If in Europe, wrap cream cheese in paper towels to remove excess moisture. Soften butter and cream cheese by leaving them at room temperature for 10 minutes. Cut butter into cubes and sift powdered sugar.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter and dark brown sugar on high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add Vanilla and Cream Cheese: Add vanilla extract and cream cheese to the butter mixture and beat for 1 minute until creamy and combined.
- Incorporate Powdered Sugar: On low speed, gradually add sifted powdered sugar in two parts, mixing well between additions. Scrape down the bowl and finish mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost Cupcakes: Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round tip (e.g., Wilton 1A). Pipe the frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Optionally, decorate with fondant pumpkins or dust with additional pumpkin spice or cinnamon.
Notes
- To make your own pumpkin spice, mix 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¾ teaspoon ground allspice. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- For homemade pumpkin purée, roast pumpkin flesh until tender and puree until smooth.
- Removing excess moisture from cream cheese helps achieve a thicker, more stable frosting, especially in humid environments.
- Ensure all wet ingredients are at room temperature for better batter incorporation and cupcake texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake with frosting
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
