Pumpkin Cupcakes

Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) Headshot By Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
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My super cute pumpkin cupcakes recipe are an absolute fave in the fall. I love making them as soon as pumpkin spice is a thing, plus I think they are super cute for Halloween too!  I keep the very moist plus spiced then I balance it out with a creamy American style buttercream.

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A pumpkin cupcake with paper peeled back and a bite taken to show inside of cupcake.

How to Make Pumpkin Cupcakes

  1. Combine the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl or stand mixer and beat for three minutes on high speed.
  2. Add the oil, hot water, and pumpkin to the bowl and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl so everything mixes together.
Eggs and sugar in a bowl to mix.
Pumpkin puree added to the egg and sugar mixture.
  1. Turn your mixer to the slowest speed and carefully add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix just long enough for all the ingredients to come together. 
  2. Scoop the cake batter into your cupcake liners filling only two-thirds of the way up. 
Flour added to the rest of the pumpkin cupcake batter.
Pumpkin cupcake batter in the cupcake pan.
  1. Bake in a preheated oven for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out barely clean.
  2. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for 10 minutes then remove the cupcakes and allow them to finish cooling on a rack. 

How to Make Candy Corn Buttercream Icing

  1. Add the butter and salt to your stand mixer and mix at medium low speed.
  2. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture in small amounts until everything is added to the bowl. Turn the speed to medium high to fully combine.
Butter in a mixing bowl to make candy corn frosting.
Powdered sugar added to the creamed butter.
  1. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until nice and fluffy.
  2. Evenly separate the buttercream into three different bowls leaving one bowl plain. Color one bowl using the sunflower color and set aside. Color another bowl pumpkin by using both the berry and sunflower colors.
Adding the coloring to the candy corn frosting.
Three bowls of different colored candy corn buttercream on the table.

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How to Decorate the Cupcakes

  1. Pipe one wide ring on top of cupcakes of the sunflower color in a round tip.
  2. On top add a ring of pumpkin color with the round tip.
Piping on the large ring of yellow frosting to make candy corn base.
Adding the orange frosting on top.
  1. Finish the cupcakes with the white colored frosting using the star tip. 
Adding a white candy corn top on the pumpkin cupcake.
Decorated pumpkin cupcakes on a wire rack on the table.
A pumpkin cupcake with paper peeled back and a bite taken to show inside of cupcake.

Pumpkin Cupcakes Recipe

These perfectly moist, tender and spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with a Halloween festive Candy Cane buttercream will definitely get you in the fall baking mood! 
4.34 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams
Course: Dessert
Servings: 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup hot water
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon McCormick ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon McCormick ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Buttercream:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • Pinch salt
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • McCormick Color From Nature Assorted food color
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

  • Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and adding 16-18 cupcake liners to two 12 muffin pans.
  • In the mixer bowl, add eggs and both granulated and brown sugar and beat for 3 minutes on high speed.
  • Next pour in oil, hot water, and pumpkin and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
  • Turn your mixer to the slowest speed and carefully add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until just combined.
  • Using an ice cream scooper, scoop cake batter into each cupcake liner filling only 2/3s of the way.
  • Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out barely clean.
  • Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes then remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Buttercream:

  • In your stand mixer, add butter and salt at medium low speed.
  • Next turn the mixer down to low and slowly add powdered sugar in small portions until all is added then turn the speed to medium high to combine.
  • Add heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix until nice and fluffy.
  • Evenly separate the buttercream into three different bowls leaving one bowl plain.
  • Color one bowl using the sunflower color and set aside.
  • Color another bowl pumpkin by using both the berry and sunflower colors.
  • To pipe cupcakes, start by piping one wide ring on top of cupcakes using round tip with the sunflower color then follow up on top of ring with pumpkin color with round tip and finish piping one dollop of plain color with star tip on top and serve.

Notes

How to Store

Store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool environment for up to three days. If it’s too warm, it’s best to store them in the fridge.
You can also freeze pumpkin cupcakes without the frosting on top if you want to make them in advance. Thaw them out on the counter and then top with the frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 72mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 2490IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.7mg
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Recipe Tips

  • Use a scoop to fill your cupcake liners. This ensures every liner is filled with an equal amount of batter so it bakes evenly.
  • Adjust the racks to the center of the oven. This prevents overcooking on any one side of the cupcakes. 
  • Don’t leave the cupcakes in their pans for too long. The cupcakes will keep baking and eventually overcook and dry out.
  • Baking more than one pan of cupcakes? Be sure to place them side by side on the rack. Give each pan as much space as you can while still keeping each one as close to the center of the oven as possible.

Recipe Help

What size scoop is best for cupcakes?

Use a large scoop (typically for ice cream) for standard sized cupcakes and a small scoop (used for cookies) for mini cupcakes. 

How do you create the colors using regular food coloring?

Use the yellow food coloring to create the desired shade of yellow for the candy corn. Then combine red and yellow food coloring to make the orange.

More Fall Recipes

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This post was originally posted September 2016. It has been updated with new images and content.

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Filed Under:  Cupcakes, Dessert and Baking, Fall Recipes, Halloween, Holidays, Seasonal Recipes

Comments

  1. These cupcakes were moist, had great texture and flavor, and husband approved. I normally cook paleo but will definitely sneak these in a few times a year. Thank you!!

    Reply
4.34 from 6 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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