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Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting made with a tender, spiced crumb and tall piped swirls. Baked until golden, then cooled completely before frosting for a clean swirl and a cinnamon-sugar finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 18 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 0.33 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For cinnamon cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
Cinnamon sugar for dusting
  • 1 cinnamon sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with liners.
  2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla, then beat until smooth.
  4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, then fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients.
  5. Divide the batter into the liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
  7. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
Make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and heavy cream.
  3. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, then transfer to a piping bag.
  4. Pipe tall swirls onto each cooled cupcake.
  5. Dust the finished cupcakes with cinnamon sugar.

Notes

For the cleanest tall swirls, only frost once the cupcakes are fully cool, and aim for frosting that holds shape without looking grainy. Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months (thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost). If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and use heavy cream only as needed to reach a fluffy piping consistency.