Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
Amycakes Bakes | amycakesbakes.com
This made-from-scratch bakery recipe makes incredibly moist pumpkin spice cupcakes that are soft and fluffy. They are spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves and topped with a creamy and fluffy cinnamon cream cheese buttercream frosting! Even better, they are easy to make!If you have a kitchen scale, please select grams above the ingredients for the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, no worries!–just be sure to “spoon and level” your dry ingredients.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour (I use Gold Medal)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon(s) Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Instant Clearjel (A bakery ingredient you can use at home--see Note #1. Please make sure your clearjel is labeled as "Instant")
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground Ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground Cloves
- 1 cup(s) packed Brown Sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup (9 ounces) Canned Pumpkin (make sure it's 100% pumpkin)
- ¾ cup(s) Buttermilk
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Other Cake Ingredients
- 1 stick(s) (4 oz) Salted Butter
Cinnamon Buttercream *see Note #3
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
- 3 sticks (12 ounces) Salted Butter
- ½ cup Shortening
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoon(s) Instant Clearjel (A bakery ingredient you can use at home--see Note #1. Please make sure your clearjel is labeled as "Instant")
- 1 Tablespoon(s) Cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
Drizzle and Decorations (optional)
- 14 Caramel Squares or ⅔ cup(s) Caramel Bits
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- Candy Pumpkins
Instructions
Make Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Fill cupcake tins with 24 cupcake liners.
- Using a sifter or fine mesh strainer, sift the Dry Ingredients minus the brown sugar into a large bowl. Add the brown sugar to the sifted ingredients and whisk until well blended. If you see any brown sugar clumps, break them up and blend them in with your fingers.
- Combine Wet Ingredients in a separate large bowl and whisk until smooth and well-blended.
- Melt salted butter in the microwave (or over the stove) until just melted. Avoid overcooking.
- Pour Wet Ingredients into Dry Ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Pour Melted Salted Butter over batter and whisk in until smooth and shiny.
- Using a 2-oz scoop or ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins. Allow tins to set for 5 minutes before putting them in the oven. This will give time for the instant clearjel to thicken the cake batter before it bakes, allowing for a better rise.
- Bake on the middle or top rack (avoid bottom rack) of the preheated 325-degree oven for 8 minutes. Without opening the oven, turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and bake for another 6-8 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick or small paring knife comes out mostly clean when quickly stuck in the cupcakes. These cupcakes are often done before looking done, as the cupcake tops will be shiny, but they will bounce back when lightly touched with your finger. Because these cupcakes are so moist, it is okay to see a couple of moist crumbs on your knife when you check the finished product for doneness. But any wet-looking crumbs mean they need more time in the oven.
- If you are frosting and serving them the next day, wrap the cupcakes in the cupcake tin and leave at room temperature overnight. You may also freeze the unfrosted cupcakes wrapped tightly in the cupcake tin and they will stay very moist.
Make Cinnamon Buttercream
- Whisk the powdered sugar, Instant Clearjel, and Cinnamon together until well-blended. Set aside. (Instant Clearjel must always be whisked with dry ingredients before adding to liquid to avoid clumping).
- Using a stand mixer (preferred) or handheld mixer and a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until broken up and softened. Add the room temperature salted butter and continue to beat, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed until there are no lumps. Add shortening and continue to beat until there are no lumps.
- Turn the mixer on low, and slowly add in the Powdered Sugar mixture until incorporated. Add the Pure Vanilla and Corn Syrup while the mixer is on low, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat the buttercream on high for two-three minutes. This will add air into the buttercream and make it light and fluffy. The Instant Clearjel will cause the buttercream to thicken slightly during the next 10 minutes as it sits
Make the Easy Caramel Drizzle
- Combine the Caramel Squares (or Caramel Bits) and Heavy Cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at 20-30 second increments until the caramel is melted, stirring frequently until it reaches a drizzling consistency. It will thicken as it cools, so reheat before drizzling if needed.
Decorate and Serve
- I like to use 18" disposable pastry bags and a Round Cupcake Tip to pipe a generous swirl of cinnamon buttercream on top of each cupcake. Drizzle the easy caramel drizzle on top of each cupcake (I use a squeeze bottle for this), then add a candy pumpkin.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate, but remove from fridge 2-4 hours before serving as they have the best texture at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read my article Instant Clearjel: a Magical Bakery Ingredient to see why I think this ingredient is worth having in your pantry. Instant Clearjel must always be whisked thoroughly with other dry ingredients before being added to wet ingredients to avoid clumping. I have tested this recipe with the following Instant Clearjel brands: Hoosier Hill Farm, Prepared Pantry, and Ingredion (Make sure what you purchase is labeled as "Instant." Cooktyle Clearjel is a different product that does not work the same in cakes).
- Read my Recipe FAQ for more details.
- The frosting makes enough for a generous swirl on each cupcake. If you prefer less frosting, you may halve the frosting recipe.