Pumpkin Pie Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
A moist and delicious recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice cupcakes made with pumpkin purée, topped with a flavorful maple cream cheese frosting. This recipe for pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting is hands-down the best I’ve ever had. I look forward to pumpkin season just so that I can make these amazing treats!
I’m excited to share this favorite autumn dessert with all of you, with a few of my substitutes. The original recipe inspiration came from Smitten Kitchen, which is amazing, but I made a few swaps, and these have quickly become one of our favorite fall dessert recipes!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Butter. I use the butter olive oil blend sticks.
- Dark brown sugar
- Granulated sugar. Feel free to sub with coconut sugar.
- Cake flour. Can sub with a mixture of unbleached all-purpose flour and cornstarch, sifted
- Leavening ingredients: baking powder and baking soda
- Spices. Pumpkin pie spice and ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Eggs
- Buttermilk. You can swap plain unsweetened kefir 1:1 for the buttermilk
- Vanilla.
- Canned pumpkin puree.
How to make pumpkin pie spice cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a cupcake pan with 18 liners. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a rack and make the frosting.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
- Reduced-fat cream cheese
- Unsalted butter. I used the Land O’ Lakes olive oil butter blend sticks
- Real maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Confectioners’ sugar
Directions:
In a stand mixer, beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. You may need to add a bit more powdered sugar to achieve your favorite frosting consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
How To Store Pumpkin Cupcakes
Refrigerate the cupcakes to set up the frosting and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container until ready to serve. The cupcakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 month. Allow frozen cupcakes to come to room temperature before eating. It may be tempting to microwave thaw them, but the frosting and cupcake texture is best if they defrost at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
I’m such a huge fan of pumpkin desserts. Are you team pumpkin spice everything?! So hard to eat just one!!!!
More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Pie Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 unsalted butter room temperature, I use the Land O' Lakes olive oil butter blend sticks
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar can sub with coconut sugar
- 2 cups cake flour or use 1 ¾ cups unbleached white wheat flour and ¼ cup cornstarch-sift together well
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs room temp
- ½ cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ¼ cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
For the frosting:
- 16 oz low-fat cream cheese ,softened (make sure it's the block cream cheese- not in the tub)
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter ,room temperature (I use Land O' Lakes olive oil butter blend sticks)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt into a medium bowl.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition.
- Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk.
- Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Beat in the pumpkin until smooth.
- Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full.
- Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.
To Make The Frosting:
- In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla until creamy.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until fluffy and smooth.
- You may need to add a little more powdered sugar until you get your desired frosting consistency. Frost cupcakes, swirling decoratively with a frosting tip, or spread it on with a knife.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes to set up frosting and store them in the fridge in a covered container until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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