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Pumpkin Cupcakes With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin cupcakes with caramel cream cheese frosting made with a tender, spiced crumb and a fluffy caramel-tinted swirl. Baked until lightly domed, then finished with a salted caramel drizzle for a bakery-style look.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin cupcakes
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 salt
  • 0.5 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 0.33 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For caramel cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.25 cup thick caramel sauce
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 salted caramel for drizzling

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin cupcakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin with liners.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the pumpkin puree, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until no dry streaks remain.
  6. Divide batter into cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting.
Make and frost with caramel cream cheese frosting
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese and softened unsalted butter until smooth.
  2. Add the thick caramel sauce and mix until evenly tinted.
  3. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy and pipeable.
  4. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake, then drizzle with salted caramel for drizzling.

Notes

For a tighter swirl, wait until the cupcakes are fully cool before frosting; warm cupcakes can melt the frosting. Store unfrosted cupcakes airtight for up to 3 days, and frosted cupcakes in the fridge for up to 4 days—bring to room temperature before serving for best texture. Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months; thaw and then frost. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese and reduce the powdered sugar slightly if your frosting becomes too loose.