Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. I plan the menu a month ahead, count down the days and start cooking a week in advance. I love the turkey and sides almost as much as I love the desserts. And Thanksgiving dessert means pies. I have been known to make 5 different pies for a party of 8 people. Why not? It’s Thanksgiving! And I get really disappointed every year when the kids pass up a slice of any of the delicious, from scratch pies that I have painstakingly slaved over in favor of a chocolate chip cookie from the kitchen cabinet. Argh!

I decided that there must be a way to trick the kids into eating Thanksgiving dessert. And the trick came in the form of a cupcake. All the flavors of the holiday are packed into these cute little Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, guaranteed to please even the pickiest of pie-deniers.

The dreamiest Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Before you start on the pumpkin cupcakes, make sure you pull your cream cheese out of the fridge so that it comes to room temperature while you’re baking. I don’t know who thought of making frosting with cream cheese, but whoever it was I’d like to give her a big kiss on the mouth. I have such a weakness for real buttercream frosting, but then when you go and add cream cheese, I literally cannot control myself. I’ll eat it with a spoon until I’m sick!

The frosting on these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting is one of my favorite frostings of all time. It’s smooth and not too stiff, so you can smear it onto your cupcakes or cakes but also put it into a piping bag for decorating. I did a little bit of both with these. I found a gorgeous pan that makes these pretty leaf designs, so I divided the cupcake batter between the leaves and standard cupcakes. Then I just had some fun with various decorating tips.

The frosting gets its maple flavor from maple extract. I didn’t want to risk changing the consistency by adding maple syrup, and the extract works the same way as vanilla extract does. It imparts the subtle flavor without changing texture. And texture is everything when you’re making homemade frosting.

Side note – if you have any pumpkin cupcakes left over from your holiday meal, they go great with morning coffee. I speak from experience. Have fun tricking your kids this Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, delicious and full of pumpkin spice with a creamy, addictive frosting

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 14 cupcakes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

The Cupcakes

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground clove
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

The Frosting

• 8- oz. cream cheese add another 4 oz. if you desire a thicker consistency, room temperature
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. maple extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and eggs. Add brown sugar, oil, baking pwder, cinnamon, baking soda, clove and nutmeg. Mix together. Add the flour and mix until well-combined.
• Lightly grease a muffin pan or line with baking cups. Pour batter 2/3 of the way to the top of each cup. Bake 28-30 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes. Turn speed down to low and add the powdered sugar. Turn speed back up to medium-high and beat for another 3 minutes. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before frosting the cupcakes.

Keyword cake, dessert, holiday

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!