Description
Delight in these moist and flavorful Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with a rich Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting. Perfectly spiced with homemade pumpkin spice and baked to perfection, these cupcakes bring the warmth and coziness of fall in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice (see notes for homemade blend)
- 225 g dark brown sugar
- 280 g pumpkin purée, room temperature
- 75 g vegetable oil, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g butter, softened
- 15 g dark brown sugar
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 345 g powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 160ºC (320ºF) conventional setting. Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with cupcake liners to ensure easy removal and even baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, and salt. Stir thoroughly to evenly distribute all dry components.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully blended and smooth, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Create batter: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredient bowl. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, stir gently until the batter is just combined and there are no streaks of flour visible. Be careful not to overmix to keep cupcakes tender.
- Fill cupcake liners and bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners. Place in the oven and bake for 23-24 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes: Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then gently remove them from the tray and let cool completely on the rack to prepare for frosting.
- Prepare cream cheese frosting: For European cream cheese, press it between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Ensure butter and cream cheese are at room temperature; cut butter into small cubes. Sift the powdered sugar before use for a smooth frosting.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and dark brown sugar on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl sides and beat an additional 2 minutes.
- Add cream cheese and vanilla: Mix in the cream cheese and vanilla extract with the butter-sugar mixture, creaming together for 1 minute until smooth and homogenous.
- Incorporate powdered sugar: Add the sifted powdered sugar in two parts on low speed, allowing each addition to blend fully before adding the next. Scrape down sides and finish mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy.
- Pipe frosting and decorate: Transfer frosting into a piping bag fitted with a round tip (e.g., Wilton 1A). Pipe generous swirls atop each cooled cupcake. Optionally, garnish with fondant pumpkins or a dusting of pumpkin spice or cinnamon for added seasonal flair.
Notes
- To make your own pumpkin spice mix: combine 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¾ teaspoon ground allspice. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth batter and frosting consistency.
- Removing excess moisture from cream cheese will prevent frosting from becoming too runny, especially important in humid climates.
- Check cupcakes a few minutes before baking time ends to avoid overbaking and keep them moist.
- Use pumpkin purée made from cooked fresh pumpkin or canned pure pumpkin for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
