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Several pumpkin cupcakes topped with whipped cream cheese frosting on wire cooling rack.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Cooling Time:: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 17 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cupcakes:

  • 15-ounce can (425 g) pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup (212 g) brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (155 g) neutral-flavored oil
  • ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large (150 g) eggs
  • 2 large (45 g) egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 ¾ cups (249 g) all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup (113 g) butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ¾ cups (428 g) powdered sugar

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
  • For the cupcakes, in a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla until very smooth.
  • Add the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves and whisk until very smooth and the spices are evenly combined into the batter.
  • Add the flour and mix until no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix.
  • Fill the muffin cups 1/2 (or just over halfway) with batter. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until tops of the cupcakes spring back lightly to the touch.
  • Remove the cupcakes from the tin to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • For the frosting, in a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter. Mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix for another minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix until well-combined.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing another 1 to 2 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Frost the cupcakes, as desired. Sprinkle with a very light dusting of cinnamon, if desired (see note).

Notes

Frosted Cupcakes: I use a Wilton 2A round tip to frost these cupcakes. 
Cinnamon Sprinkle: For a light sprinkling of cinnamon, I grate a cinnamon stick on a rasp grater across the top of the cupcakes.