Pumpkin Cupcakes That Taste Like Fall in Every Bite — With the Best Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
These pumpkin cupcakes come out tender, moist, and deeply spiced thanks to dark brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. The secret is not overmixing the batter and creaming the butter and brown sugar for a full 7 minutes before adding cream cheese for the fluffiest frosting. Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 23–24 minutes, then frost with a tangy-sweet brown sugar cream cheese swirl. Save this recipe for your next autumn gathering.
Equipment
- Oven
- Muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Large Bowl
- Whisk
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Wire rack
- Toothpick
- Piping bag with large round tip
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 225 g dark brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 280 g pumpkin puree room temperature
- 75 g vegetable oil room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g butter slightly softened
- 15 g dark brown sugar packed
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese slightly softened
- 345 g powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Get your oven to 160°C (320°F). Line the muffin tin with paper liners.
- Whisk the dry stuff: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar — break them up with your fingers if needed.
- Mix the wet stuff: In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla until completely smooth.
- Combine gently: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula or whisk until just combined — about 15 strokes. A few small streaks of flour are okay.
- Fill and bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 liners — about 1/4 cup per liner. Bake for 23–24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the right way: Let the cupcakes rest in the pan for exactly 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: About 10 minutes before you start, take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar on high speed for 5 minutes. Scrape, then mix for 2 more minutes. Add the vanilla and cream cheese, then beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar in two additions. Once all the sugar is in, beat on medium for 2 minutes. If too soft, chill for 10 minutes.
- Pipe and finish: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes in a swirl starting from the outside edge and working inward. Optionally dust with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.