Moist and fluffy pumpkin cupcakes flavored with pumpkin and warm spices topped with an incredible maple cream cheese frosting. All the cozy flavors of fall rolled into one delicious and easy cupcake recipe. Choose from a large or small batch.
Today we’re revisiting my favorite pumpkin cupcake recipe. I took some new photos and added an option for a larger batch recipe (choose between 10 or 20 cupcakes). This recipe super easy and not only do the cupcakes bake up perfectly every time, BUT, they’re also topped with BEST maple cream cheese frosting!
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Recipe overview
Pumpkin cupcakes: These pumpkin cupcakes bake up soft, moist, and tender. They are perfectly sweet and generously spiced. Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another bowl, then combine the two.
Bake: Scoop the batter into lined muffin cups and bake for around 20 minutes.
Maple cream cheese frosting: This frosting is so delicious! A combination of cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, maple extract, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Smooth and creamy with an incredible maple flavor. This frosting is a bit softer than a traditional frosting, due to the addition of maple syrup. It is still firm enough to pipe onto the cupcakes (as pictured), but you can also simply spread it onto the cupcakes with a butter knife.
These pumpkin cupcakes are
Ultra soft and moist: Thanks to a combination of pumpkin puree and vegetable oil, these cupcakes stay moist for days.
Fall flavored: Just the right amount of spices paired with pumpkin and maple. Warm and cozy flavors in every bite!
Simple and quick: The cupcake batter comes together in minutes. You don’t even need an electric mixer.
A crowd pleaser: These pumpkin cupcakes always receive rave reviews. Bake a batch and watch them disappear.
Recipe tips
- Don’t overmix the batter.
- Use pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling.
- Use an ice cream scoop to add batter to muffin cups.
- Make sure cream cheese and butter (for the frosting) are at room temperature so they blend easily.
- Garnish with salted caramel, chopped nuts, sprinkles, toffee bits, or a dusting of cinnamon.
Ingredient spotlight: maple extract
In order to get a prominent maple flavor in the frosting this recipe uses maple extract. This adds a much stronger, more intense flavor than maple syrup alone. A little goes a long way, you only need ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon depending on the size of the recipe that you choose. If you’d prefer to skip the maple extract you can add a little extra vanilla extract. The frosting will still be delicious.
Serving and storage
The cupcakes can be served chilled or at room temperature..
Store cupcakes in the refrigerator and serve chilled or at room temperature. Note: this frosting is on the softer side so it holds up better if it’s refrigerated.
Recipe
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or sub cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon maple extract
- 2½ cups powdered sugar (sifted, if lumpy), plus more, if needed
- salted caramel sauce, optional, for decorating
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill a muffin tin with 10 liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pie spice and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, sugars, oil, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until almost fully combined. Switch to a rubber spatula and mix the batter fully, being careful not to overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 10 muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in a pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the cupcakes and place directly on the rack to cool completely.
Frosting;
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and combined. Add maple syrup, extracts, and a pinch of salt, beating until combined and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add in powdered sugar one cup at a time. If the frosting seems too soft you can refrigerate it for 30 minutes or add a little more powdered sugar. Note: it is on the softer side since it is a cream cheese frosting. Frost the cupcakes using a piping bag and decorating tip (I used a large open star tip), or simply spread the frosting with a butter knife. Drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.
Video
Notes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- One 15-oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!Cupcakes and frosting adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust
Brandy @ Nutmeg Nanny says
Loving the maple cream cheese frosting on these cupcakes!
Lorena Hooper says
These came out Super moist, and delicious! Perfection!
Celebrating Sweets says
Glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Teri says
I made these last week for my fall Bunco get together and they were a big hit!
Celebrating Sweets says
Awesome! Thank you!
Taylor Wright says
I made these, and doubled the recipe because it was for a lot of people. They were excellent. They were good even without frosting.
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. 🙂
Sheryl Chiaramonte says
We must be soul buds, I believe just about everything is made better by adding nuts! Making these today sans nuts, however as having to make a lot and pleasing a big group. There will be chopped pecans in two of them:)
Celebrating Sweets says
Enjoy, Sheryl! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Victoria says
Hi your video shows 3 eggs but the written instructions say 2. Can you let me know which to use? Thank you!!
Allison says
Hi, Victoria. Good question. I find that most people use “large eggs”. If using large or extra large eggs TWO eggs is correct. If your eggs are small you can bump it up to three. Thanks for checking. Sorry for the confusion.
Sandy says
Yum! I am a 11 year old and last year close to halloween I decided to try making these . . . My whole family loved them! Then on the day of the super bowl I tried making the small batch chocolate cupcakes and used this frosting (with the maple) and they tasted great! I have also tried many of your other recipes and they never disappoint!
Allison says
Thanks for the kind review. I’m so happy to hear that you’re in the kitchen baking! Great job! Keep it up. 🙂
Linda says
These cupcakes were amazingly good! I used 2 1/4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and a 1/4 of cinnamon – a very rich flavor! Everyone loved them!
Allison says
I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Darah says
So delicious the flavor & texture is perfect! I was pressed for time so I used Betty Crocker Cream Cheese frosting and still turned out great but am excited to try the frosting recipe next time!
Allison says
I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂