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Pumpkin Cupcakes

Enjoy the taste of autumn with these fluffy, lightly spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with smooth cream cheese buttercream.
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Active Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Metric - US Cups/Ounces

For the pumpkin cupcakes

  • 2 large eggs
  • 150 g pumpkin or squash, or pumpkin purée - See FAQs for more details on which to choose
  • 165 g self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp bicorbonate of soda
  • 135 g brown sugar - I use soft dark brown sugar, but light brown or muscovado would also work well
  • 150 ml vegetable/sunflower oil
  • 1½ tsp pumpkin spice

Extras

  • 12 cupcake or muffin cases

For the cream cheese buttercream

  • 170 g unsalted butter - Soft at room temperature
  • 170 g icing sugar
  • 340 g cream cheese
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • A little milk - This may be needed to ensure the buttercream is the right consistency

To finish

INSTRUCTIONS

Pumpkin Cupcakes

  • Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan.
    Line muffin tins with 12 cupcake cases.
  • If you're using pumpkin/squash rather than purée then coarsly grate the pumpkin/squash (150g).
  • Beat together the oil (150ml) and brown sugar (135g) until combined.
  • Beat in the egg (2 large) until combined.
  • Sift in the self-raising flour (165g), bicarbonate of soda (½ tsp) and pumpkin spice (1½ tsp). Fold the dry ingredients into the egg, oil and sugar mixture until combined.
  • Add the grated pumpkin or pumpkin purée into the cake mixture. Fold together until combined.
  • Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases. Bake for 20 minutes. Check the cupcakes are cooked through by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean they are ready, if not, pop them back into the oven for a couple more minutes.
  • Move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • Cut the butter (170g) into cubes and beat (either by hand or using a mixer on a slow speed ) until soft.
  • Sift the icing sugar (170g) and beat it into the butter until fully combined and smooth.
  • Add the cream cheese (340g) and vanilla extract (½ tsp) and beat until thoroughly combined and smooth.
  • Check the consistency of your buttercream. It should be firm, but soft enough to pipe. If it is too firm, then beat in a little milk (no more than a teaspoon at a time) until you have the right consistency.
  • Pipe your buttercream onto your cupcakes and serve.
  • Optional - decorate your cupcakes by sprinkling over a little pumpkin spice.

NOTES

❄️ Suitable for freezing - You can find details on how to freeze these cupcakes either decorated or undecorated just above the recipe.
If you would like to use a different style of piping on your cupcakes, then you may need a different quantity of buttercream. Take a look at the recipe notes in my original cream cheese buttercream recipe for other styles, and the amount of buttercream you'll need.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.9g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 30.2g | Saturated Fat: 12.5g | Sodium: 202.4mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 26.8g

Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Keyword: Autumn