Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are a new fall favorite! The salted caramel cream cheese frosting pairs perfectly with the pumpkin flavored cake crumb.
Nothing says fall like Apple Crisp, Pistachio Layer Cake, and Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls. Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes are a downright decadent dessert to add to your fall favorites!
Pumpkin & Salted Caramel
Ever since I learned how to make salted caramel I can’t stop! Just recently I made this salted caramel bittersweet chocolate tart, these salted caramel cookie dough cups, both l of which I highly recommend! I also love drizzling it over apple/pear crisp, ice cream and coffee cake. It makes everything 100x better!
Usually when it comes to pumpkin treats I like to stick with the traditional combo of pumpkin & cream cheese. But this time I wanted to do something a little different. I used a little over a tablespoon of salted caramel in the frosting and then drizzled it over the tops of the cupcakes.
It added a rich saltiness to the cupcakes which helped balance the sweet and tangy flavor of the frosting. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of this combo sooner!!!
Making pumpkin Spice cupcakes
PREP. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one regular size muffin tin with liners, set aside.
WET INGREDIENTS. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, oil, and sugars for 2-3 minutes or until light and creamy. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, then with mixing speed on low, add one egg at a time, mixing until incorporated.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
BAKE. Remove bowl from stand and fill each liner ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
Salted Caramel Frosting
While the cupcakes are baking prepare the salted caramel.
SALTED CARAMEL. Heat the granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The sugar will begin to form clumps and will eventually melt and turn brown. Once the sugar has melted completely, add the butter.
The mixture will bubble, continue stirring for 1-2 minutes or until the butter has completely melted, then add the cream. Boil for 1 minute then remove from the heat and add the salt. Allow the caramel to cool while the cupcakes finish baking/cooling. You don’t want it to melt the frosting!
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING. Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, vanilla, salted caramel and salt for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. With mixing speed on low gradually add the powdered sugar, beat until it forms a thick paste. Add cream cheese and mix on the lowest speed possible for 1½ minutes, then STOP!
Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes or until cupcakes have completely cooled. Allow to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before placing in a bag to pipe on cupcakes. Garnish cupcakes with a drizzle of slightly warm salted caramel (warm enough for it to be fluid but not to melt the frosting) and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Note. I used a Wilton 2D star tip to pipe the frosting on (and it definitely isn’t perfect) and then drizzled some slightly warm caramel over top and finished them with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Tips + Storing Info
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure to use pure pumpkin or pumpkin puree instead of canned pumpkin pie filling which already has spices added to it. My Homemade Pumpkin Puree recipe is easy to make and would be perfect to use for these cupcakes.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can make your own pumpkin pie spice by combining ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, ⅛ tsp allspice, and ⅛ tsp nutmeg for each tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
- Thinning: If your caramel is ending up too thick you can add in 2 more TBSP of heavy whipping cream.
STORE leftover cupcakes covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
It would be best to FREEZE these cupcakes before you frost them. Allow cupcakes to cool completely then store them wrapped in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil or in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months.
STORE caramel sauce in a glass jar and refrigerated for no more than a month. It can be reheated in the microwave or warmed up on the stove top.
For more delicious pumpkin treats check out these recipes:
- Pumpkin Sugar Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Perfect Pumpkin Cupcakes
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (½ stick) butter - room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree - solid-packed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
Salted Caramel
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp salted butter - room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream - room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt (I prefer non-iodized sea salt)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter - room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp salted caramel - cool
- 8 oz (1 block) original cream cheese - room temperature for 30 minutes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line a regular-sized muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugars together for 2–3 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla. With the mixing speed on low, add one egg at a time, mixing until incorporated.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. With the mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fill each liner ¾ full. Place in the oven and bake for 18–22 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 3–4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the salted caramel. Heat the granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The sugar will begin to form clumps and will eventually melt and turn golden brown. Once the sugar has melted completely, add the butter. The mixture will bubble. Continue stirring for 1–2 minutes or until the butter has completely melted, then add the cream. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Allow the caramel to cool while the cupcakes finish baking and cooling.
- To prepare the cream cheese frosting, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, vanilla, salted caramel, and salt for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. With the mixing speed on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until it forms a thick paste. Add the cream cheese and mix on the lowest speed possible for 1½ minutes, then STOP! Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes or until the cupcakes have completely cooled. Allow the frosting to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before transferring it to a piping bag. Garnish the cupcakes with a drizzle of slightly warm salted caramel (warm enough to flow smoothly but not hot enough to melt the frosting) and a sprinkle of sea salt.
These are so fun and delicious to make this time of year. Everyone goes crazy for these!