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Spiced pumpkin cupcakes are so soft, moist, and flavorful. They pair perfectly with delicious homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
When fall rolls around and you start making Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Cookies, don’t forget about these easy pumpkin cupcakes!! They are the only type of cupcake you’ll want to make this season.
easy Fall Cupcakes
Are you sick of the pumpkin recipes yet? I hope NOT!! Fall is just starting and we’re ready for all things pumpkin (Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Brownies, Pumpkin Cake – we’ve got it all!).
I’ve been wanting to make pumpkin cupcakes for years!! I’ve seen several recipes, but most required a TON of ingredients and time, and I just wasn’t up for it.
We went to the kitchen and created the perfect EASY pumpkin cupcake that we think you will LOVE! We decided that if we were going to make pumpkin cupcakes, we have to make a cinnamon cream cheese frosting to go with them, which is exactly what we did.
The family all agreed the frosting was their favorite part of the dessert!
Simple With the Help of a Box Mix
Because these pumpkin spice cupcakes are made with the help of a cake mix, they are very simple!
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
BATTER. In a large bowl, prepare cake mix as directed on the box, but substitute the pumpkin puree for the water and add pumpkin pie spice. Add vanilla and cinnamon.
Pour batter into cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full. (We use our large cookie scoop to fill the muffin pan with the batter.)
BAKE. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Let them cool on a wire rack before frosting.
See below for cinnamon cream cheese frosting!
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting can pair well with other types of cakes and cupcakes, but it was the PERFECT match for these pumpkin spice cupcakes. A total match made in heaven.
And it’s nothing too fancy, in fact, it only takes 5 ingredients! Start with room-temperature ingredients for the best results.
- cream cheese
- butter
- vanilla
- powdered sugar
- cinnamon
COMBINE. Whisk ingredients for frosting in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Be sure to scrape the side of the bowl.
Pipe or spread frosting on and top with a Candy Pumpkin if desired. ENJOY!
Decorating Tips
Use these tips for the best pumpkin cupcake decorating!
Frosting. I used a frosting tip to make these pretty swirls. If you don’t have a piping bag or tips you can make your own by cutting the tip off of a gallon Ziploc bag.
Snip a smaller portion off the tip for fine smooth swirls or snip a larger piece off the tip for thicker smooth swirls.
Decorations. We added a mallow pumpkin on top. Leave them off or top them with festive Autumn or Halloween sprinkles.
Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for a flavor change.
recipe Tips
This pumpkin cupcake recipe uses a cake mix and pumpkin puree, use these tips to make the best cupcakes!
Pumpkin. Use a canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You will use the entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree and omit the amount of water listed on the box (usually it is about 1 cup of water).
Spice. Make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice using ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.
Cake mix. A common-size box of yellow cake mix is 15.25 oz and will typically list ⅓-½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, and 1 cup water.
Use the amount listed for the oil and eggs but Do Not add the water. The oil can be replaced with an equal amount of melted unsalted butter.
Variations. The box of yellow cake mix can be replaced with a box of white cake mix or spiced cake mix. Again, use the ingredients listed on the back of the box, but omit the water. If you are using a spiced cake mix you may also wish to reduce or omit the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
Mini cupcakes. Use this recipe to bake mini cupcakes. Use a mini muffin tin and bake for about 12 minutes.
How to Store
STORE. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Keep pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting at room temp for a few hours, but refrigerate for longer storage. Place them in an airtight container and they can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
FREEZE easy pumpkin cupcakes.
- Unfrosted cupcakes. The best way to freeze these pumpkin cupcakes with cake mix is unfrosted. Wrap each cupcake in plastic and store them together in a freezer container. Freeze the frosting separately. Thaw and decorate before serving.
- Frosted cupcakes. Stick the entire cupcake in the freezer until the frosting is solid. Wrap with plastic and store. Unwrap them before thawing. Cupcakes can be frozen for 3-6 months.
Recipe FAQ
I used a box of yellow cake mix to make these pumpkin cupcakes. Note that there are changes to the box directions so be sure to read through the recipe. If you wish, you can also use white cake mix or spiced cake mix.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature. Once you add the cream cheese frosting they can be kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, but for longer storage keep them in the refrigerator.
For More Pumpkin Recipes, Check Out:
Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix (plus ingredients listed on back minus the water)
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 oz can pumpkin puree
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- candy pumpkins (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Prepare cake mix as directed on the box, but substitute the pumpkin puree for the water and add pumpkin pie spice. Add vanilla and cinnamon.
- Pour batter into cupcake liners about ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
- Combine ingredients for frosting in a medium bowl and beat until smooth.
- Pipe or spread frosting on and top with a Candy Pumpkin if desired. ENJOY!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The pumpkin cake was excellent and delicious however the cream cheese icing wouldn’t thicken even with a little more power sugar and sticking in the fridge. What else could I do?
Glad to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes. Hmmm, I haven’t had any troubles with the frosting being too thin. You could try adding a little cornstarch to help thicken. It shouldn’t alter the flavor but may help it stiffen a bit.
I loved these cupcakes. I made them for a Halloween party. Can this recipe be used in a bundt pan?
What size cake mix are you using?
Added a little more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to batter. Fantastic!
These cupcakes were delicious but I need to make a gluten free version! If I used a gluten free yellow cake mix, would I need to alter anything in your original recipe? Thanks so much!