Moist Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Super-moist, spiced, and lightly sweet pumpkin cupcakes with the most decadent maple cream cheese frosting. This is something every pumpkin lover should try this fall! Topped with chopped, crunchy Heath pieces for an outta this world flavor!
Servings: 10 -12 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the pumpkin cupcakes (muffins):
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup oil use canola, vegetable, or coconut
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin purée not pie filling
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes optional*
- 1/2 cup 2 - 1.4 ounce bars coarsely chopped Heath bars (optional)*
For the maple cream cheese frosting*:
- 6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
For the pumpkin cupcakes:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and line with paper liners. Set aise.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, pumpkin purée, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the flour mixture and the coconut flakes and stir until *just combined*. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took exactly 22 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
For the maple cream cheese frosting:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, butter, maple syrup, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. using a small spatula or a piping tip, frost the cupcakes. Top with coarsely chopped heath bar pieces.
Notes
- The topping possibilities for these pumpkin cupcakes are limitless. Try some of these others ones if you're not a fan of coconut flakes:
- milk chocolate chips inside the batter + snickers bars chopped on top
- peanut butter chips inside + snickers bar on top
- butterscotch chips inside + twix bars chopped on top
- white chocolate chips inside + butterscotch chips on top
- pecans chopped inside + heath candy bars chopped on top
You can also try: raisins, dried cranberries, pecans, and walnuts! - If you're not a fan of maple syrup, try cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
Omit the maple syrup and sift together 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the powdered sugar; follow recipe above. - Recipe slightly adapted from the Barefoot Contessa Foolproof Cookbook
