These Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting are fluffy, moist, flavoured with real pumpkin and spices, and topped with an amazing salted caramel frosting that takes them over the top!
Looking for a ridiculously simple recipe for spicy pumpkin cupcakes with salty caramel frosting? Well, this is it! If you prefer cream cheese frosting, try my Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting instead. Or steal the frosting recipe from that recipe to put on these cupcakes.
These cupcakes would be a delicious dessert alternative to pie for Thanksgiving dessert! Though my Pumpkin Pie Recipe is pretty darn good. Maybe just make both! And some of these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust, just for good measure. 😉
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Moist + Fluffy. These pumpkin cupcakes have an amazing texture!
- Perfectly Spiced. A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves flavour these cupcakes.
- Great Dessert for Thanksgiving. There are always non-pie people out there and this is a fantastic festive alternative!
🧈 Cupcake Ingredients
These are the ingredients needed to make these spiced pumpkin cupcakes (salted caramel frosting ingredients below). I have listed some substitutions later in the post.
- White Sugar - A combination of white and brown sugar creates a perfect texture.
- Oil - Any neutral flavoured oil will do.
- Pumpkin Purée - Not pie filling which has sugar and spices added. Pumpkin purée is pure pumpkin.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder - A mixture of baking powder and baking soda leavens these cupcakes for ultimate fluffiness.
- Salt - Brings out flavour in baking recipes.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🧁 Frosting Ingredients
- Salted Butter - See substitution notes later in the post for using unsalted butter.
- Brown Sugar - This is a "short-cut" caramel that starts with brown sugar.
- Salt - Extra salt is added to make this salted caramel frosting.
- Whipping Cream - Divided.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla enhances caramel well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
📝 Substitutions
Most of the ingredients in these pumpkin cupcakes and salted caramel frosting cannot be substituted, but here are a few possible substitutions if you are in a pinch!
- Brown Sugar - You can make homemade brown sugar by mixing white sugar with a bit of molasses. Here is a tutorial on how to make brown sugar.
- Salted Butter - If using unsalted butter in the frosting, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Spices - If you don't have each individual spice, you can use 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice instead.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Combine the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin purée.
Step 2: Whisk until smooth.
Step 3: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Step 4: Whisk until fully incorporated.
Step 5: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Step 6: Whisk until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix!
Step 7: Scoop the batter into cupcake liners in a muffin tin.
Step 8: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Make the Frosting
Step 9: Cook the butter, brown sugar, salt, and part of the whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Step 10: Pour into a heat-safe bowl and add the vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature.
Step 11: Add the additional whipping cream and powdered sugar to the cooled mixture and whip until smooth and fluffy.
Step 12: Pipe frosting onto the completely cooled cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with your desired tip. I used a Wilton 1M tip for these cupcakes pictured.
Tip: If the frosting is a little runny, simply pop the bowl of frosting into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm up a bit before continuing to whip until fluffy.
💡 Top Tip
Let go of expectations around piping frosting. I used to be terrible at it but then I stopped caring what the outcome would be and was able to relax and gradually get better at frosting cupcakes! Whew, that was deep. 😂
❓ Recipe FAQs
I have not tested this recipe using gluten-free flour, but let me know if you try it!
Oil, brown sugar, and pumpkin purée make these pumpkin cupcakes tender and moist.
🎃 More Pumpkin Recipes
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try these:
If you tried these Caramel Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
Equipment
- 12-count muffin tin
- cupcake liners
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups & spoons
- whisk
- rubber spatula
- small saucepan
- electric handheld mixer
- piping bag with your desired tip
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon *
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger *
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg *
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves *
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup salted butter **
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons whipping cream, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
To make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, mix together the white sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Add the flour mixture to the combined wet ingredients and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Fill each cupcake liner to the top with batter, distributing all the batter evenly between the 12 cupcakes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.
To make the Frosting:
- Melt the butter, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil for 3 minutes while stirring constantly. Pour the cooked mixture into a heat-safe bowl and let cool uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Add the icing sugar and 4 tablespoons to the cooled mixture and use an electric handheld mixer starting on low speed to whip until fluffy. The frosting might be runny, so cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes to harden slightly. Beat the cooled frosting on high speed until fluffy.
- Fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes using your desired piping tip/design. (I used a Wilton 1M tip for the picture design.) Enjoy!
Nicola
I made the pumpkin spice cupcakes to set the mood for Fall, they were the perfect start to the cozy season! My teenagers thought they were the best cupcakes they had ever had :)) The salted caramel icing is delicious, so easy to make, and just perfect with the pumpkin cupcake. Can't wait to make them again and again!
Naomi
The best comment!! ♡ Thank you so much, Nicola, this made my day! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Naomi