On a grey and drizzly day, even a photo of these pumpkin cupcakes brings warmth. But the taste is even more comforting! These cupcakes are soft and moist, bursting with warm spices, paired with a tangy cream cheese frosting that melts in your mouth, and topped with little marzipan pumpkins. Is your mouth watering yet?
Moist Pumpkin Cupcakes
These cupcakes are incredibly soft and moist, thanks to the pumpkin puree mixed in the batter. I used my homemade puree for this recipe, which I didn’t drain or reduce on the stove, so there was plenty of moisture to achieve truly tasty cupcakes. I haven’t tested this recipe with canned pumpkin puree since it’s not available where I live. However, I believe the recipe would still work well. If you try it with canned pumpkin puree, please share your experience in the comments!
Pumpkin cupcakes are typically made with canola oil, but I find that it leaves an unpleasant greasy aftertaste in the final product. So I’m always searching for a better alternative. This time, I opted for unrefined coconut oil, which adds a delightful hint of coconut flavor that pairs beautifully with pumpkin and creamy frosting.
Soft Cream Cheese Frosting
I prefer light, soft, and airy frostings for cupcakes, and this one fits the bill perfectly. It’s not overly sweet, has a slight tanginess, and offers a lovely mouthfeel. While it is quite soft immediately after whisking, it pipes nicely and firms up beautifully in the fridge. Read more about this frosting here.
Marzipan Pumpkins
I used my homemade marzipan to shape small pumpkins and then dusted them with edible gold dust. Store-bought marzipan can also be used for this. While shaping decorations by hand does take a little extra time, it’s worth it if you’re making cupcakes for a celebration and want to make an impression. Plus, marzipan pumpkins are delicious!
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Soft and moist pumpkin cupcakes, bursting with warm spices, paired with a tangy cream cheese frosting and topped with little marzipan pumpkins.
- Prep Time20 min
- Bake / Cook Time20 min
- Total Time40 min
- Yield12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 140 g / 4.9 oz wheat flour (cake or plain flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmegs
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 200 g / 7 oz homemade pumpkin puree
- 200 g / 7 oz light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs (100-120 g in total without shells)
- 60 g / 2.1 cold pressed coconut oil (melted)
- ½ grated orange zest (orange part only)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 150 g / 5.3 oz unsalted butter (softened)
- 150 g / 5.3 oz cream cheese (spreadable, 23% fat or more)
- 100 g / 3.5 oz powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Directions
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line a cupcake pan with 12 standard-sized cupcake liners (bottom diameter ~5 cm / 2 inch).
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all spices (except the orange zest). Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, eggs, melted coconut oil, and orange zest. Mix well until fully combined.
Add the mixture of flour and spices to the wet ingredients. Mix everything until just combined.
Distribute the batter between 12 cupcake liners. You should have about ⅔ of the cups filled.
Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove baked cupcakes from the pan and transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl.
Whisk with a handheld mixer until well combined and free of lumps.
Add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Begin whisking slowly, gradually increasing the speed until an even texture is achieved.
If the frosting isn’t holding its shape well, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to firm up slightly. Remix before use.
Frost the cupcakes
Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, transfer the frosting into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes.
Sprinkle some cinnamon and decorate as desired. I used marzipan pumpkins dusted with edible golden dust.
Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days. Serve at room temperature.
notes
- I created this recipe using homemade pumpkin puree and did not test it with canned puree, as it’s unavailable in my region. If you choose to use canned puree, expect a thicker cupcake batter and slightly less moist cupcakes. And please share your experience in the comments if you do!
- You can substitute coconut oil with any mild-flavored oil if you prefer.
- The liquid content in spreadable cream cheese can vary, which affects the final texture of the frosting. The higher the liquid content – the runnier the frosting, so it’s best to choose the thickest option available. If you prefer a thicker frosting and block-style cream cheese is available in your area (it’s not available in mine), you can use it instead of spreadable cream cheese.
