Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

A cupcake with it's cupcake liner opened. More cupcakes are in the background. Some on a gold plate.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

These chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting are moist, chocolatey, and are full of pumpkin spice. The cream cheese frosting has pumpkin in it too! A perfect cupcake for fall!

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 17

Servings cupcakes

Calories 429kcal

Author Nina

Equipment

one 12 cup muffin tin

Ingredients

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup dark cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup whole milk room temperature
¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt room temperature

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¼ cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 drop orange gel food colouring optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs and vanilla and combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Mix in pumpkin puree, milk, and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Fill the cupcake liners ¾ full with the cupcake batter. The batter will make 12-15 cupcakes. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean from the cupcakes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Place pumpkin puree on a medium plate. Dab the puree with paper towels to remove liquid. I used about 6 paper towels. You will know when it is done, when hardly any liquid transfers to the paper towels. This step is necessary so the frosting won't be too loose.
Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. Mix to combine, and then mix in powdered sugar. Mix in orange gel food colouring.
When cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe frosting on them. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip. Store left overs in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. It helps the cupcakes bake evenly if all the ingredients are at the same temperature.

Mix the cupcake ingredients until just combined. If you stir too long, gluten will form, and the cupcakes will be dense.

Make sure pumpkin puree is dried when using it for the frosting. It will make the frosting too soupy if not dried out enough.

Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes however you like. I used Wilton IM tip.

Nutrition