These pumpkin cupcakes are one of my favorite fall treats because they have a moist texture and are deliciously spiced with pumpkin pie spice and sweetened with brown sugar. My favorite thing about these cupcakes, is pairing them with the sweet and salty salted caramel frosting. It really is a delicious combination! If you enjoy these cupcakes you may also enjoy my pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, or gingerbread cupcakes with spiced cream cheese frosting.
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Soft Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Equipment
- 12 capacity Muffin tins (linked below)
- Mixing bowl (linked below)
- Piping bag plus piping tips (linked below)
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Salted Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup caramel topping *see note
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3-4 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350:
- Combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt and brown sugar in a med-large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix only until combined (be careful not to overmix the batter for softer cupcakes).
- Line muffin tins with cupcake wrappers (enough for 24 cupcakes). Fill each lined tin 3/4 full with the pumpkin cupcake batter, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
- Place softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the caramel sauce then cream the butter and caramel with a hand or stand mixer until well combined. Add salt and 1 tablespoon milk, then mix again until the milk has mostly incorporated into the butter/caramel mixture. Add 1 cup of sifted confectioner's sugar, then mix until well combined. Add the remaining milk (if needed), then add the remaining confectioner's sugar (mixing between each 1 cup addition) until the frosting is light and fluffy, but is stiff enough to pipe onto the cupcakes.
- Cool the cupcakes completely, then place the salted caramel frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping tip of your choice. Frost the cooled cupcakes, then serve and enjoy immediately or keep refrigerated to enjoy later.
Notes
Equipment needed for these pumpkin cupcakes with salted caramel frosting:
- Muffin tins For the amount of cupcakes this recipe makes, you will need enough muffin tins and cupcake liners for 2 dozen cupcakes.
- Mixing bowls You will need several mixing bowls for these cupcakes. I like to use a larger mixing bowl for the pumpkin cupcake batter and a medium sized mixing bowl for the salted caramel frosting.
- Piping bags A piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2D or 1M tip is my preference for frosting cupcakes. Feel free to spread the frosting onto your cupcakes with a spoon or spatula too!
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Ingredients needed for the pumpkin cupcakes: pumpkin puree, brown sugar, milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, salt, eggs, baking powder, flour and oil.
Ingredients needed for the salted caramel frosting: butter, caramel ice cream topping, milk, salt and confectioner’s sugar.
Note for the salted caramel frosting:
Be sure to use caramel ice cream topping from a jar for best results. I have tried the caramel sauce, but found it to make the frosting too runny. In a pinch you can use the sauce, but will need to adjust the recipe to your preference as I have not personally gotten the measurements perfected with the caramel sauce instead of the caramel ice cream topping.
Step 1: Combine the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, salt and brown sugar in a med-large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix only until combined (be careful not to overmix the batter for softer cupcakes).
Step 2: Line muffin tins with cupcake wrappers (enough for 24 cupcakes). Fill each lined tin 3/4 full with the pumpkin cupcake batter, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Steps 3-4: Place softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the caramel sauce then cream the butter and caramel with a hand or stand mixer on low-medium speed until combined. Add salt and 1 tablespoon milk, then mix again until the milk has mostly incorporated into the butter/caramel mixture. Add 1 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar, then mix until well combined. Add the remaining milk (if needed), then add the remaining confectioner’s sugar (mixing between each 1 cup addition) until the frosting is light and fluffy, but is stiff enough to pipe onto the cupcakes. Cool the cupcakes completely, then place the salted caramel frosting into a piping bag and frost the cupcakes with the piping tip of your choice. Serve immediately or store for later.
Storage options for these cupcakes:
These cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for up to a week if they are unfrosted. Frosted cupcakes can last for 2-4 days at room temperature. If you wish to store the frosted cupcakes longer, keep them in the refrigerator in a sealed container or tightly wrapped with plastic wrap. You can also freeze these cupcakes, but I would recommend freezing the cupcakes and frosting separately, then thawing and frosting right before serving them.
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