How to Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Scratch

  Baking

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, warmly spiced, and crowned with a cloud of cinnamon cream cheese frosting — these cupcakes are autumn in every bite.

45 min total350°FMakes 24Easy

340Calories

14gFat

53gCarbs

4gProtein

There's something almost magical about the moment pumpkin batter goes into the oven. The kitchen fills with the scent of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and suddenly it feels like fall has officially arrived — no matter what the weather outside is doing.

These pumpkin spice cupcakes have become a staple in my autumn baking rotation, and for good reason. They bake up incredibly moist thanks to a full can of solid-pack pumpkin and tangy buttermilk, and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top is the kind of thing you'll want to eat straight from the bowl. Fair warning: it's hard to stop at just one.

Whether you're baking for a fall gathering, a school bake sale, or simply because the leaves are turning and the mood is right — this recipe delivers every time.

Ingredients

  For the cupcakes

• ¾ cupbutter, softened
• 2½ cupssugar
• 3large eggs, room temp
• 1 can (15 oz)solid-pack pumpkin
• 2⅓ cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 tbsppumpkin pie spice
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• ¾ tspsalt
• ½ tspbaking soda
• ½ tspground ginger
• 1 cupbuttermilk

  For the frosting

• 8 ozcream cheese, softened
• ½ cupbutter, softened
• 4 cupsconfectioners' sugar
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 2 tspground cinnamon

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat & prep

   Preheat your oven to 350°F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Pull your eggs and butter out ahead of time — room temperature ingredients make a noticeably better batter.

2. 2
   Cream butter and sugar

   In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy — about 5 to 7 minutes. Don't rush this step. Proper creaming incorporates air into the batter, which is what gives these cupcakes their tender, cloud-like texture.

3. 3
   Add eggs and pumpkin

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then mix in the pumpkin until fully combined. The batter will turn a gorgeous deep orange — this is exactly what you want.

4. 4
   Combine dry ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and ginger until evenly mixed. Alternately add the dry mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed base, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, beating well after each addition.

5. 5
   Fill and bake

   Fill each lined muffin cup about three-quarters full — a cookie scoop makes this fast and mess-free. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. 6
   Cool completely

   Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This step matters — frosting warm cupcakes will give you a melty, sliding disaster. Patience pays off here.

7. 7
   Make the frosting

   Beat the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, then beat until silky smooth. Taste and adjust the cinnamon to your liking — some people love an extra pinch.

8. 8
   Frost and serve

   Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, frost generously with a piping bag fitted with a star tip or simply swirl on with an offset spatula. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

  Baker's tips

• Room temperature eggs and butter prevent the batter from curdling — pull them out 30–60 minutes before you start.
• Full-fat buttermilk gives the crumb its signature moisture. Don't swap it for low-fat.
• Unfrosted cupcakes freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, frost the next day.
• A cookie scoop fills muffin cups evenly and saves time — highly recommended.

Nutrition (per cupcake)

Calories340 kcal

Total fat14g (8g saturated)

Cholesterol62mg

Sodium233mg

Carbohydrates53g (41g sugars, 1g fiber)

Protein4g