I realized this week that it has been almost two months since I made cupcakes. What the what? It's not like I haven't made desserts in all that time, but there's something special about cupcakes! These cupcakes are like the essence of fall baking. The combination of cinnamon and pumpkin is so homey and comforting!
These cupcakes are moist but still light, and hold together well. Plus the sweet pumpkin flavor is amazing! I mentioned in
this post that I'm not a huge fan of sweetened cream cheese, but I absolutely adored the cinnamon cream cheese frosting. It is seriously incredible! I whipped it until it was light and airy, and it was the perfect complement to the pumpkin cupcakes.
These cupcakes would be perfect for a Thanksgiving dessert, or just a fun treat to celebrate fall!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
for the cupcakes:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
for the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
6 tablespoons butter, softened
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar (more as needed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with paper liners. Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs, and mix until well blended. Mix in flour mixture until combined. Scoop into prepared muffin tin, filling 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool on a rack.
For the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon. If necessary, add more powdered sugar until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape but still light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!