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Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting are the perfect fall cupcake! If you love the flavors of pumpkin pie, and you love cream cheese frosting, you will love this pumpkin cupcake recipe!
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Pin It NowHave you ever wondered what would happen if pumpkin pie met the cupcake? Guess what, I arranged their first date and it was love at first sight! Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes are sort of like the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie in that it’s everything you love about pumpkin, but in this case, in cupcake form (and who doesn’t love a cupcake?).
I debated long and hard about what kind of frosting to put on these babies. At first I was thinking something like a cool whip based frosting, since that’s what I typically put on pumpkin pie. But then I started thinking about how insanely delicious a cream cheese based frosting would be, and how perfectly it pairs with pumpkin, and then there was no debate. The cream cheese frosting won! To finish off the pumpkin pie cupcake, I sprinkled graham cracker crumbs over the top as the final finishing touch, you know, in place of the graham cracker pie crust? Simple to make, and so delicious that it’ll be hard to consume ‘just one’, these pumpkin pie cupcakes will be a hit in any pumpkin pie loving household!
This recipe yields two dozen regular sized cupcakes, or you can take the route I did and make one dozen regular sized cupcakes, and two dozen of the mini-cupcakes. I’m warning you though, the mini guys are DANNNGEROUS! It’s so easy to pop a few in your mouth and before you know it, you’ve consumed way more than you ever anticipated eating! I’m not speaking from experience though…… ;)
Tips: I’ve mentioned this before, but decorating cupcakes is really not all that difficult. I bought a little cake decorating kit at Target in the baking aisle for under $10 dollars. It came with simple instructions, deposable frosting bags and a few tips. All I did was read the instructions (like two sentences) and woo-la, I was able to make a cupcake look pretty with very little effort (it DID take a few cupcakes for me to get the hang of it but even my ugly cupcakes were still yummy)! You can do it too! :) Lastly, make sure the butter and cream cheese is softened for the frosting. You’ll get the best results if they aren’t rock hard.
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Ingredients
CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (2 sticks – 16 tablespoons)
- 4 large eggs lightly whisked
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree (plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)
FROSTING INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup crushed graham crackers for topping
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a cupcake pan or line it with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
- In the bowl of a mixer, combine 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 sticks (1 cup) melted butter, and 4 lightly whisked eggs. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until everything is just incorporated.
- Stir in 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree until fully blended and the batter is smooth.
- Fill each cupcake liner about halfway full with batter. This recipe makes about 24 regular-sized cupcakes.
- Bake on the top rack for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely—about 1 hour—before frosting.
TO MAKE THE FROSTING
- In a mixing bowl, beat ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter until light and fluffy.
- Add 8 ounces softened cream cheese and beat together for 1–2 minutes until smooth.
- Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat for another minute until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Frost each cooled cupcake generously, then sprinkle about ¼ cup crushed graham crackers over the tops for a “pumpkin pie crust” effect.
Recipe adapted from
Martha Stewart
