If you love Pumpkin Spice Lattes, then you’ll love these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes topped with pumpkin espresso frosting. So deliciously perfect for fall!
Pumpkin spice cupcakes are a classic seasonal dessert. They are made from basic ingredients and have a dense, moist texture, and are positively delicious!
In recent years, pumpkin spice cupcakes have become super popular year-round as they can be found at coffee shops, bakeries, grocery stores, and even some gas stations. But I’m a fan of making my own and these are the perfect snack for the fall or winter seasons.
Pumpkin spice is one of the most popular flavors in America. It is used in everything from lattes, to yogurt, to ice cream.
One might think that pumpkin spice is just a flavor that has been around for centuries, but that would be wrong. The original recipe for pumpkin spice was created in the early 1900s by McCormick & Company out of Chicago. That recipe was made up of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves mixed together to make a great combination of spices.
As the weather starts to cool down, so does the need for more hearty fare. Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are a perfect way to warm up on a cold day and remind you of all the delicious flavors of Fall.
Here are some commonly asked questions
What is the best way to store leftover pumpkin cupcakes?
The most important thing is to keep them in an airtight container. I like to keep them refrigerated and then remove what we plan to have after dinner when I am serving dinner.
This way they can come to room temperature while we have dinner and they are just perfect for dessert. They will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Why do I need pumpkin puree instead of pie filling?
This is really important when making pumpkin recipes. Pay close attention to the recipe & see if it calls for one or the other.
This recipe calls for pumpkin puree, which is just pumpkin that is cooked & pureed. Pumpkin pie filling is the puree mixed with sweeteners & spices – which isn’t what is usually called for when it comes to most recipes that use pumpkin.
They are not usually interchangeable because it will change the flavor & possibly the consistency of the recipe you are making.
What if I don’t have pumpkin pie spice?
I understand that you might not keep pumpkin pie spice on hand – or maybe you used so much last season that you may have run out. No problem – just blend the following ingredients together and you will have your own homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- 1/3 cup cinnamon
- 1 tbsp each of ground ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves
- 2 tsp Allspice
How to soften the butter to room temperature?
First
There are a couple of ways to do this. The first being that you can take the butter (& any other ingredients that need to be at room temperature) out, leave it on the counter for about 30 minutes while you prep for baking.
I usually start with all my chilled ingredients and pull everything I need out onto the counter before getting started – so I know for sure I have everything before I’m mid-way through I realize I’m out of something.
But sometimes it’s winter and that isn’t enough time to get the ingredients warmed up – OR – I’m just not that organized to plan ahead. It happens. So I have another couple of tricks.
Second
I place the butter in the microwave – wrapped in the paper. (don’t do this if it is wrapped in foil) Then I microwave for 2 seconds – flip – go another 2 seconds – flip again – and continue for 2 seconds on each side.
This is usually enough to get it perfect – sometimes stopping before if it feels soft enough. Take care when doing this method – overly softened butter from the microwave WILL ALTER the end result of the recipe. Don’t over-do it.
Third
My third method is to place the wrapped butter sticks in a zip-top bag and place it in a bowl of warm water. I do this with the eggs too. If the water isn’t too hot it can be THE PERFECT way to get “room-temperature” ingredients.
Can pumpkin cupcakes be frozen?
Yes, I do it often. Once baked – these cupcakes can be frozen at all stages of the creation process.
I like to remove the freshly baked and cooled cupcakes from the pan, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and freeze them for later use. (this is also handy when you want to work with cold cakes to keep the frosting from getting too soft.)
You can also gently wrap the completely decorated cupcakes and freeze them until you need them. Remember that the frosting won’t be completely firm and can still be dented if something gets pushed up against it while in the freezer.
Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge the night before as they do taste best when not frozen. I also like to leave them at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving so the frosting is more creamy than stiff.
If you love pumpkin – be sure to check out these delicious pumpkin recipes too!
- pumpkin butter donuts
- soft pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting
- pumpkin cinnamon rolls
- pumpkin spice cookies
- easy pumpkin bread
- pumpkin roll cake
- the best pumpkin streusel muffins
- pumpkin pie
- no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars
- pumpkin spice latte
- 3-ingredient pumpkin cookies
- pumpkin spice cake
Don’t miss these adorable owl cupcakes & Biscoff cupcakes for fall!
How to make Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cupcake tin with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, instant espresso, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In another bowl, combine the vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, whole milk, ¼ cup coffee, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until they are combined– be sure not to overmix!
- Divide the batter between the tins, filling each one ¾ of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are warm, remove them from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack and poke the top a few times with a fork. Drizzle over the remaining ¼ cup coffee (I added about 1 teaspoon to the top of each cupcake).
- Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting.
How to make Pumpkin Espresso Frosting
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat it on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla, espresso powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the confectioner’s sugar a little at a time.
- Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip (I used a Wilton 2A).
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes
- all-purpose flour
- light brown sugar – lightly packed
- baking powder
- instant espresso powder
- pumpkin pie spice
- vegetable oil
- pumpkin puree – not pie filling
- whole milk
- strong coffee or espresso divided
- eggs
- pure vanilla extract
Ingredients for Pumpkin Espresso Frosting
- butter – softened
- instant espresso powder
- pure vanilla extract
- pumpkin pie spice
- confectioner’s sugar
Notes for the BEST Pumpkin Cupcakes
For the Cupcakes
- Flour gives the cupcakes structure. Make sure not to pack your flour too tightly or you’ll end up with dense cupcakes.
- Brown sugar adds a rich sweetness. Granulated sugar will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise.
- Instant espresso powder adds a strong coffee flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice adds that classic warmth and spice flavor we all love.
- Vegetable oil adds richness to the cupcakes and helps keep them soft.
- Pumpkin puree adds moisture, as well as classic pumpkin color and flavor. Make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk adds moisture and richness to the cupcakes.
- Coffee helps enhance the “latte” flavor for the cupcakes.
- Eggs bind the cupcakes together.
- Vanilla enhances the flavor of the coffee and pumpkin.
For the Frosting
- Butter gives the frosting structure. Make sure it’s fully softened!
- Espresso powder makes the frosting slightly coffee-flavored.
- Vanilla enhances the espresso and spice in the frosting.
- Pumpkin pie spice adds warmth and spice to the frosting– as well as the cupcake.
- Confectioner’s sugar gives the frosting structure and sweetness
More Holiday Cupcakes to Try
DON’T MISS THESE HOLIDAY E-BOOKS!
Products I love when making pumpkin spice cupcakes…
This pumpkin cupcake recipe is SUPER EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me this time of year, then you maybe already have some of these items on hand
OR maybe you have never made homemade cupcakes before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love them. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this cupcake recipe.
- all-purpose flour
- light brown sugar
- baking powder
- instant espresso powder
- pumpkin pie spice
- vegetable oil
- pumpkin puree – not pie filling
- pure vanilla extract
- confectioner’s sugar
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer
- mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cupcake pan
- cupcake liners
- piping bags
- piping tip
If you love this Easy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes recipe, you’re going to love these other cupcake recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
If you love this recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Cupcakes as much as I do, please write a five-star review, and be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 1 packet
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree – not pie filling
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ cup strong coffee or espresso divided
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cupcake tin with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, instant espresso, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In another bowl, combine the vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, whole milk, ¼ cup coffee, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until they are combined– be sure not to overmix!
- Divide the batter between the tins, filling each one ¾ of the way full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cupcakes are warm, remove them from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack and poke the top a few times with a fork. Drizzle over the remaining ¼ cup coffee (I added about 1 teaspoon to the top of each cupcake).
- Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat it on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla, espresso powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the confectioner’s sugar a little at a time.
- Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and beat until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip (I used a Wilton 2A).
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Notes
- Flour gives the cupcakes structure. Make sure not to pack your flour too tightly or you’ll end up with dense cupcakes.
- Brown sugar adds a rich sweetness. Granulated sugar will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
- Baking powder helps the cupcakes rise.
- Instant espresso powder adds a strong coffee flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice adds that classic warmth and spice flavor we all love.
- Vegetable oil adds richness to the cupcakes and helps keep them soft.
- Pumpkin puree adds moisture, as well as classic pumpkin color and flavor. Make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk adds moisture and richness to the cupcakes.
- Coffee helps enhance the “latte” flavor for the cupcakes.
- Eggs bind the cupcakes together.
- Vanilla enhances the flavor of the coffee and pumpkin.
- Butter gives the frosting structure. Make sure it’s fully softened!
- Espresso powder makes the frosting slightly coffee-flavored.
- Vanilla enhances the espresso and spice in the frosting.
- Pumpkin pie spice adds warmth and spice to the frosting– as well as the cupcake.
- Confectioner’s sugar gives the frosting structure and sweetness
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Angelina says
The cupcake alone is not really sweet. It definitely needed the buttercream but i ended up doing cake cups with this recipe. I layered it with cake, caramel, buttercream. Very delicious!