Do you love fall and pumpkin spice? You will love these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Edible Mini Pumpkins as the garnish. Warm spices and Pumpkin puree creates the rich pumpkin spice flavors. Creamy and piped Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream mingles and completes the delicious pumpkin spice flavor in every bite. But wait… the edible mini 1 inch pumpkin is the perfect finishing touch to this cute fall cupcake. Let’s make these cupcakes.
Make Cupcakes From Scratch… All Purpose Flour or Cake Flour?
Because cupcakes make quick desserts, the cake batter uses ingredients you have in your pantry, except for maybe cake flour and buttermilk. Cake flour just makes “cakes” lighter in texture due to the 27 times of being pre-sifted and is pure soft flour with no leavening agents or salt. You can mix 2 cups cake flour and 1 cup all purpose in the recipe if you need the cake to be firmer for holding thicker frosting and decor on top of cupcakes.
In this recipe I used all purpose as I needed a firmer cupcake to hold the weight of the mini pumpkin garnish.
Make the cupcake batter by using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer to cream together, room temperature butter, vegetable oil, until smooth. Next add packed brown sugar and sugar into the mixture in mixing bowl. Beat this mixture for about 2 -3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add pumpkin puree* and vanilla.
*Tip: I used Libby’s pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. I also will dry the puree in a small saucepan to help with flavor intensity especially if the puree is very wet. To do this, place amount needed for recipe in small saucepan over medium heat, stir one minute constantly to help remove some of the liquid. Cool before adding to cupcake batter.
Add eggs to batter beat to combine. Last add the combined dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the warm spices. Ground cinnamon, ginger, all spice, cardamon and nutmeg. If you have pumpkin pie spice you can use that instead of all the individual spices. I would use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Photo below does not have spices added to it yet.
Scoop cupcake batter into cupcake liners using a 2″ spring loaded scoop. Bake cupcakes at 350°F for 20 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool before frosting. Pipe these cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream. Recipe follows.
How to Make Edible Mini Pumpkins for the Garnish
These are the cutest little pumpkins. To make these one inch wonders, cream together peanut butter, butter and confectioner’s sugar, add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and tiny bit of orange food gel for color.
Once the batter is mixed together, shape into one inch balls, flatten slightly to make it look round like a pumpkin. Roll the pumpkin into cinnamon sugar mixture, with a toothpick make ridges on side of dough resembling a pumpkin. Attach one single chocolate chip on top of pumpkins for stem. Store these pumpkins in covered container in refrigerator until ready to serve. You can make these ahead and freeze. Just thaw before adding too cupcakes.
Add pumpkin to top of frosted cupcake right before serving. Store pumpkins in covered container in refrigerator. These edible pumpkins can be frozen and unthawed before serving.
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, Mini Pumpkin, Cinnamon Buttercream
Moist pumpkin spice cupcakes topped with decadent cinnamon cream cheese buttercream, then garnished with an edible mini pumpkin. Tis the season for Pumpkin Spice Everything.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes pumpkins
- Cook Time: 17-18 minutes
- Total Time: 60-90 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Wet Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon each pure vanilla and maple extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree, tested Libby’s, not pumpkin pie mix
2 eggs, room temperature
Dry Ingredients
1–1/4 cups all purpose flour-spoon and leveled method
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each, ground allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cardamon
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Buttercream
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple syrup or extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Edible Pumpkin Garnish Makes 28 -1″ Pumpkins
1/2 cup natural peanut butter, stirred so it is creamy
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 drop orange food gel
Cinnamon Sugar Mix
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
28-chocolate chips
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin/cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners. Set aside.
2.Measure all dry ingredients and place in mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth, add sugars, beat until well combined about 2 minutes.
4.Add pumpkin and extracts beat 3 minutes. Lower speed on mixer and add two eggs, beat to combine. Add dry ingredients mix to blend. Scrape down sides and bottom of mixing bowl, beat 30 seconds. Batter will be thick.
5. With ice cream scoop place batter into each liner filling 3/4 full, bake 17-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes before removing. Remove to wire rack.
Make Maple Cream Cheese Buttercream
1. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy about 5 minutes.
2.Turn mixer to low speed, add confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time mixing well after each addition. Add extracts and ground cinnamon, mix on low 30 seconds. Mixing on low will prevent air bubbles in your buttercream.
3. Fit disposable piping bag with #tip 1 M or 2 D. Fill bag with buttercream. Pipe large swirl on top of center of each cupcake. Insert mini edible pumpkin on side of swirl or as desired. Serve immediately.
*I recommend garnishing cupcakes right before serving. Store mini pumpkins in air tight container in the refrigerator. Also store buttercream and frosted cupcakes in refrigerator due to cream cheese frosting.
How to Make Edible Pumpkins
In medium bowl, mix all ingredients for pumpkins together, except for the cinnamon sugar mix & chocolate chips. Mix until smooth. Using a small scoop or 1 tablespoon scoop, shape dough into small balls like a pumpkin. Roll pumpkins in cinnamon sugar mixture, using a toothpick make ridges on side of dough resembling a pumpkin. Attach single chocolate chip on top of pumpkins. Store in covered container in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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