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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, fluffy and tender – these pumpkin cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting make for the most delicious fall treat. The cupcakes have a warm pumpkin flavor. Then the caramel cream cheese frosting is creamy, a little tangy and filled with salted caramel sauce.

  • Total Time: 80 mins
  • Yield: 16 cupcakes 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into about 6 pieces)
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or coarse salt)
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened but still firm)
  • 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese (softened but still firm)
  • 2–3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Line muffin pans with baking papers. This recipe will make about 14-16 cupcakes in total. So I line 1 pan fully and a few papers in the middle of a second pan.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl whisk together the oil, white sugar, brown sugar and eggs until no lumps remain. Then whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.
  4. Whisk about 1/2 of the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, followed by milk. Then whisk in the rest of the flour mixture until no lumps remain.
  5. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins so that each muffin paper is filled about 2/3 – 3/4 full. You should end up with about 14-16 cupcakes in total. I do not recommend trying to fit all the batter into 12 cupcakes. Otherwise, they can overflow.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and continue cooling on a wire rack.
  8. Measure out all of your ingredients first so that they're ready to go.
  9. Add the sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  10. Heat the sugar while occasionally stirring. It will first form lumps and then melt into a deep amber color.
  11. Once the sugar is completely melted and there are no lumps of sugar, add in the butter while whisking constantly. The mixture will bubble up, so be careful.
  12. Once the butter is fully melted and looks incorporated, turn the burner down to a lower setting and whisk in the cream until incorporated. The sauce should look smooth and even in color.
  13. Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt. Let the caramel cool fully before using it in the frosting.
  14. Beat the butter until smooth.
  15. Then mix in the cream cheese. Stop mixing as soon as its combined.
  16. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Then beat in 1/2 cup of fully cooled salted caramel sauce. (Note that the recipe for salted caramel sauce above will make about 1 cup in total – make sure you don't add it all into the frosting).
  17. Then beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about 1/2 – 1 cup at a time, until the desired sweetness is reached. If needed, beat in 1 tablespoon of cream.
  18. Frost the fully cooled cupcakes either with a knife, or transfer to a piping bag and frost. I used a piping bag and a 1M piping tip.
  19. Optionally, drizzle the top of each cupcake with more caramel sauce.

Notes

Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting. The caramel sauce recipe makes about 1 cup total – use only 1/2 cup in the frosting. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator due to cream cheese frosting, but bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

  • Author: Fiona
  • Prep Time: 60 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Method: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 377
  • Sugar: 38
  • Sodium: 111
  • Fat: 20
  • Saturated Fat: 13
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6
  • Trans Fat: 1
  • Carbohydrates: 48
  • Fiber: 1
  • Protein: 3
  • Cholesterol: 65