Pumpkin Maple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Halloween is one of those rare times I miss being a kid. I’m not one of those people who really miss their childhood or things from being a kid. I had a great childhood, but being an adult is everything I knew it would be. However, I do miss Halloween.
Halloween as an adult is just not the same as when you are a kid. Sure, there are adult Halloween parties…but I don’t feel like dressing up like a sexy nurse, or a sexy cat or a sexy anything. I want to dress up as Katniss from Hunger Games and walk around getting free candy…but apparently at my age that would be creepy. I would also like to binge eat all of that Halloween candy I collected and not see it sticking itself to my ass. Ah, youth.
Since I won’t be doing any trick or treating, I figured I would make my own treats! This cupcake is based off the Pumpkin Dream Cake. I get SO many emails/comments of people asking questions about making them into cupcakes. I always had to guess the answer or go off of what someone else has told me — and I really hate doing that.
I divided the cake recipe down to a third of what it is originally and halved the frosting. This made exactly 10 perfect cupcakes! I did change the flavor a little by adding maple flavor to the pumpkin cake and I like the twist it gives these cupcakes. And lastly, I did not put them in the freezer like I do the dream cake. With the cake, I always worry about it over baking and I hate how long a cake takes to cool….but I didn’t do it with the cupcakes and they still turned out great.
Hope you enjoy these as much as we did! And if you have any Halloween candy you don’t want your kids to have — I know someone who will take it off your hands. 😉
Pumpkin Maple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe note: I used imitation maple syrup extract because the flavor is 20X the flavor in a teaspoon of maple syrup. Yes you can use Pure Maple Syrup instead, however it won’t add any maple flavor in the end product.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon imitation maple syrup extract
- 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup milk
- for the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- cinnamon sugar, for decoration
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl/stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in vanilla, maple, pumpkin and vegetable oil. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk.
- Divide batter among cupcake tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on wire rack.
- For the frosting: In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla and cinnamon. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth.
- Pipe onto cupcakes with your favorite tip and serve! Optional: for decoration, I sprinkled the tops with cinnamons sugar.
Have a Happy Halloween! If you have kids, I hope you plan on taking a Candy Tax tonight.
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I love the maple/pumpkin combo, and cream cheese frosting… all kinds of goodness in this recipe.
Aww your frosting is adorable! It is funny I find the frosting the best part about these cupcakes?
They are too perfect for words!
I am SO OVER the sexy costumes…Katniss is where it’s at 🙂 LOVE these adorable cupcakes!!
Jessica, these cupcakes look amazing! And my favorite part of Halloween is hoarding all of the kit kats in my candy bowl from the trick-o-treaters. 🙂
These cupcakes look amazing! I would choose these over Halloween candy any day! 🙂
I need these cupcakes in my life!!
I totally want to dress up as something silly and ask for free candy too. Man, I need a kid so I won’t come off as creepy!
And btw, these cupcakes are GORGEOUS! I want this and your dream cake all at once!
Looks at that beautiful frosting!! Love love love!!
I love the look of these. Pumpkin and maple all the way!!
I love cream cheese frosting. Especially enjoy how you topped it off.
The frosting looks so perfect! Love that dusting of cinnamon sugar! Silly and fun costumes are where it’s at. I’m glad you want a costume that’s more creative than a sexy nurse. 🙂
I do kind of miss having that huge pumpkin of candy after trick or treating. But adult bonus is definitely that you can make your own treats! And what could be better than pumpkin with cream cheese frosting?!
These are absolutely stunning Jessica! I can’t wait to try them!
I can never pass up a pumpkin cupcake, especially with that decadent frosting!
You frosted these cupcakes PERFECTLY. Seriously, so gorgeous. Love them Jessica!
And candy tax. That is totally happening when (if) I have kids.
Love this recipe! Also can’t wait to make your pumpkin cake. it’s been on my list of to-dos for some time!
I miss Halloween candy, too! And my daughter has decided she’s too old for trick or treating now, so I can’t even steal from her. We don’t get trick or treaters at our house, so no left overs. Man, I need a cupcake. I’ll take seven of these.
Is it bad that I just want to eat all the frosting of each cupcake top?
These are so gorgeous. And I am so craving maple!
I made these last night for a party and everyone RAVED about them! Thanks for making me look like I know what I am doing in the kitchen. 😉
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What a delicious combo of flavors! And your frosting always looks SO perfect!
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These cupcakes took longer than 20 min to bake. They look nothing like the picture shown. I don’t get what I did wrong.
Just made these. Delicious! They are to be my son’s first birthday smash cupcakes. Just wanted to say that mine took 27 minutes to bake before the toothpick came out clean.
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These were delicious but took 27-28 minutes. Should I raise the oven temp or leave as is?
Thanks!
I would leave the baking temp as is, it’s ok if they take just a few more minutes! 🙂
Also how did you do that icing?? Looks adorable!
I pipe my cupcakes with a extra large circle tip!
These were AMAZING! Made them this weekend. Tripled the cupcake recipe to make 24 (with a little left over) and doubled the frosting recipe (but had a lot leftover, probably didn’t need to double it). The cupcakes were so light, and the frosting was just sweet enough. Will definitely make these again! Thank you.
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