Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
We all need a little pumpkin spice in our lives, especially in the fall. This recipe is a playful twist on a Thanksgiving classic, combining the nostalgic flavors of pumpkin pie with a dreamy maple cream cheese frosting for a heavenly cupcake that tastes like home. Simple and made with lots of love, this recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving alike.
Beyond the sensational flavor, my favorite part about this recipe is that it’s fast. Everything can be prepped in less than 30 minutes, which means less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying friends and family. Spice cake mix and pumpkin puree are used as a base, with a few sneaky baking hacks mixed in to ensure your cupcakes not only taste homemade, but are super fluffy and moist every single time. I love to garnish each cupcake with chopped walnuts or pecans for added texture and elegance.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt (4-5% milk fat)
1/3 cup water
1 package (18.25 oz) spice cake mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Cupcake
Recipe yields 19-20 cupcakes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl or KitchenAid mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend pumpkin, eggs, greek yogurt, and water on medium speed until smooth.
Add cake mix and cinnamon, blending on low speed for 2 minutes.
Spoon batter into each cupcake liner, filling the liner approximately ¾ full. Tap muffin pan on your countertop 4-5 times to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for 18-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs (no wet batter). Every oven is different, so keep an eye on your cupcakes for the last few minutes.
Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool completely in pans.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl or KitchenAid mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup on high speed until smooth.
Add confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase to high speed for one minute.
Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes (I used a Wilton 1A tip). Garnish with chopped pecans or walnuts.
Recipe Notes
Pumpkin puree can be found in the baking aisle, near the pre-made pie crusts and pie fillings.
If you prefer plain cream cheese frosting, simply replace the maple syrup with milk.
If you’re new to piping cupcakes, check out this awesome tutorial video that shows you how to set-up your piping bag and how to frost your cupcake using four common piping tips.
My go-to piping bags are 16 inch Wilton disposable piping bags. If you don’t have piping bags or piping tips, a freezer bag with the corner cut-off works too (it won’t be as precise, but it gets the job done).
