Name: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 and ½ cups All purpose flour; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Pumpkin spice; 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon; 1 and ½ teaspoons Baking powder; ½ teaspoon Baking soda; ½ teaspoon Salt; 1 cup Canned pumpkin purée; 2 large Eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract; ½ cup Vegetable oil; ¾ cup Light brown sugar, packed; ¼ cup Granulated sugar; ⅓ cup Buttermilk, room temperature; 1 recipe Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting (ingredients not specified in original recipe); 1 recipe Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce (ingredients not specified in original recipe)

Ingredients

1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 and ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin purée

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup light brown sugar, packed

¼ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 recipe of Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

1 recipe of Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce in advance and allow it to cool completely or chill overnight for best results.

Step 2: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners. Line a second pan with 4-6 liners as well. This recipe yields about 16 to 18 cupcakes.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients until combined.

Step 4: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and buttermilk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Step 5: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet pumpkin mixture, whisking until everything is fully incorporated and smooth. Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full.

Step 6: Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

Step 7: Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. While cooling, prepare the Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.

Step 8 (Optional): Use the bottom of a piping tip or an apple corer to cut a small hole out of the top of each cupcake and fill it with the cooled Salted Caramel Sauce for a delicious surprise inside.

Step 9: Place the cream cheese frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (such as Wilton 1M) and pipe swirls onto each cupcake. Drizzle additional salted caramel sauce on top if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

For a dairy-free option, substitute the buttermilk with almond milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, and use a dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting.

To add extra texture, fold in ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter before baking.

If you prefer less sweetness, reduce the granulated sugar to 2 tablespoons and adjust the frosting accordingly.

Make the cupcakes a day ahead and keep them covered at room temperature to allow flavors to develop.

FAQs

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin purée?

Yes, you can roast and purée fresh pumpkin, but be sure to cook it until very soft and drain any excess moisture to match the consistency of canned pumpkin purée for best results.

What if I don’t have buttermilk on hand?

You can make a buttermilk substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using it in the recipe.