Delicious Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Sugar Frosting – a delicious Fall dessert!
It’s on. Pumpkin baking that is. While I actually bake with pumpkin year round, I try to not go all pumpkin crazy here on the blog in say Febraury. It’s just such a great ingredient! Today I’ve got a simple spin on my favorite easy pumpkin cupcakes, these ones have a delicious cinnamon sugar cream cheese frosting. I always loved cinnamon sugar toast growing up, it was one of those things that I was all excited that I could make myself when I was young (complicated, I know!). That cinnamon sugar flavor work wonderfully paired with pumpkin and added to cream cheese frosting.
Honestly I love these easy pumpkin cupcakes so much that I could really even eat them without frosting, which says a lot given that I think cake is mainly a carrier vehicle for frosting.
That said, frosting, especially one with cream cheese, is a perfect partner for these cupcakes. I do recommend storing any sort of cream cheese frosting in the fridge. I’m a little paranoid when it comes to things like leaving anything with dairy at room temperature (okay, I may be a lot over the top paranoid, but at least I can own it). Plus, while these pumpkin cupcakes may be full of fall flavor, Phoenix is still full of summer heat, so pretty much everything is better off in the fridge right now. Heck, if I could get in, I probably would.
Easy Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Sugar Frosting
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cinnamon Sugar Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 standard size box spice cake mix (I typically use Duncan Hines)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Frosting
- 1 pkg. (8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar
- Cinnamon Sugar Mixture (2-3 TBSP)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place 24 cupcake liners in cupcake pans.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, eggs, oil, pumpkin and cinnamon. Once all ingredients are combined, mix on medium speed for two minutes.
- Fill cupcake liners with batter approximately 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake for 17-22 minutes or until tops spring back lightly when touched.
- Remove from oven and place on wire rack. Allow to cool completely prior to frosting.
Frosting
- BEAT cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Blend in salt and 2 tablespoons of a cinnamon sugar mixture. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar mixture.
- STORE cupcakes in refrigerator.
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Any cinnamon sugar you mix up for these will work. I do have a fun cinnamon sugar grinder that I found at Trader Joe’s that I used. I’ve even seen them for sale on Amazon (I’ve always wondered who it is that sells the Trader Joe’s goodies on Amazon). Enjoy and have a great weekend!
Originally published August, 2014
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
Made these cupcakes to bring to work and they were devoured! I am not a baker in any means but these were easy to make and turned out AMAZING!!!
Jacqui, so glad they were a hit! Turns out you are a baker 🙂
I made these for my daughter’s birthday party and they were amazing! I made the cake part 2 days before the party and the icing the night before. They sat in the fridge fully assembled for 24 hours & were in perfect condition when I served them to our guests. The icing was thick and creamy with just enough tartness from the cream cheese to balance out the sweet. It was my first time making this recipe but it won’t be my last!
I want to make these for my son’ s 1st birthday! I was wondering about making them ahead of time? Thoughts/Suggestions?
I made the pumpkin cupcakes for a bake sale? Never like to say what I made until someone buys and tastes. Well a fellow worker bought 1 sat down ate it and said this was the best cupcake she ever ate and wanted to know who baked them… Well I told her and she wanted the receipe. Not only did she buy 1 more for herself but bought a dozen to take to church that night. Thank – you.
You are so welcome Faith, I’m happy they were a hit!
I make these cupcakes all the time. Everyone just loves them.
So yummy! The frosting is delicious and easy. Also, i used a yellow cake instead of spice and it still tasted just as good. Tons of leftover frosting (not surprised or complaining.)
I just made these cupcakes and they are delicious! Nice and fluffy and the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor!
Emma, so glad you enjoyed them!
These cupcakes look so delicious!
Thanks so much Amanda!
Yum! Last fall I made chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon frosting. I would love to try just a pumpkin cupcake this year, but I am not quite ready for fall baking.
Erin, I think living in Phoenix I probably feel the same way about fall as most people feel about spring, so I am always chomping at the bit for anything and everything fall!
These look fabulous!!
Thank you so much Kristen!