These autumnal pumpkin spice cupcakes come with a healthier cream cheese lemon frosting. Simple to put together, these cupcakes make a delicious lighter dessert or snack.
The first time I made these pumpkin spice cupcakes I was a bit unsure whether using less sugar would affect their texture or flavour. Having made them 3 times now I am relieved to say they turned out light and fluffy every time, just as they should be! And sweet enough too!
What is pumpkin spice
If you are not sure what pumpkin spice actually is, well first of all there is no pumpkin in it! It is a combination of spices used for making various autumnal desserts which may or may not also contain pumpkin. These spices typically include cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and nutmeg.
For this recipe I made my own pumpkin spice mixture but if you prefer to use readymade pumpkin spice that's absolutely fine. Simply omit the spices in the recipe and use 2.5 teaspoons of readymade pumpkin spice.
Pumpkin spice cupcakes ingredients
The cupcakes are made using typical cupcake ingredients including flour, baking powder, butter, eggs and sugar. I also used a little vanilla extract to complement the pumpkin spice.
The frosting is made using cream cheese, a little butter, powdered sugar and lemon zest.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C (170 C fan)/ gas mark 4. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper cases and set aside.
Place all the cupcake ingredients (including the spices) in a large bowl.
2. Beat on a low speed until all the ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture is creamy. Do not overmix.
3. Spoon the mixture into your paper cases and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes then place the cupcakes on a rack to cool completely.
5. To make the frosting beat all the ingredients until fluffy, for a minute or so. Once cooled completely decorate the cupcakes.
Top tips
- Ensure your oven temperature is not too high. If you are using a regular oven bake these cupcakes in the centre at 180 C/ gas mark 4. For fan assisted ovens the temperature should be a little lower - 170 C/ gas mark 3. The right temperature will produce perfect, evenly risen cupcakes without high peaks.
- Use readymade pumpkin spice (2.5 tsp) instead of individual spices in this recipe if preferred.
- Ensure your butter is quite soft (for both the cupcakes and the frosting) so it's easy to mix in with the other ingredients.
- Do NOT overmix the batter.
- Store the cupcakes, once completely cooled, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Keep the frosting covered, refrigerated and decorate the cupcakes just before serving.
- Freeze the cupcakes (without the frosting) for up to 3 months.
You might also like
- Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipe with Pecans
- Healthy Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Drizzle
- Healthy Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Pecans
- Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins with Buttermilk
- Healthy Easy Baked Apples with Pecans
Check out also this collection of 27 everyday healthy cacao recipes.
Keep in touch!
If you make these pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting I'd love to know how they turned out. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Lemon Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 12-hole cupcake pan
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 150 g butter softened
- 120 g sugar
- 170 g flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 4 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- â…™ tsp fine sea salt
Pumpkin spice:
- 1.2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- â…“ tsp nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves each
For the frosting:
- 300 g full fat cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 60 g icing/powdered sugar
- Zest of 1.5 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4 (or 170 C/gas 3 fan). Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cupcake cases.
- Place all the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and using an electric mixer beat on low until all the ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, set aside for 10 minutes, then place on a cooling rack.
- To make the icing combine the icing ingredients and stir together thoroughly until the mixture is smooth. Once cooled completely decorate the cupcakes.
Notes
- Ensure your oven temperature is not too high. If you are using a regular oven bake these cupcakes in the centre at 180 C/ gas mark 4. For fan assisted ovens the temperature should be a little lower - 170 C/ gas mark 3. The right temperature will produce perfect, evenly risen cupcakes without high peaks.
- Use readymade pumpkin spice (2.5 tsp) instead of individual spices in the recipe if you prefer.
- Ensure your butter is quite soft (for both the cupcakes and the frosting) so it's easy to mix in with the other ingredients.
- Do NOT overmix the batter.
- Store the cupcakes, once completely cooled, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Keep the frosting covered, refrigerated and decorate the cupcakes just before serving.
- Freeze the cupcakes (without the frosting) for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Ooh these sound gorgeous! And I love that they are lower in sugar than some cupcakes. I often find these days that cake is just too sweet - I've been working quite hard at reducing sugar in my diet and I think it has affected my tastebuds quite a bit! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare 🙂 Eb x
Thanks Eb! I am exactly the same when it comes to sugar, I love sweet things as long as they are not too sweet. I couldn't imagine coffee without sugar only a couple of years ago, now I drink it without sugar or milk! And I love it:)
YUMMY !
Thanks!