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Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes are easy to make with a cake mix but taste like you spent hours making them! These easy pumpkin cupcakes are perfect for any fall gathering.
I am all about keeping things simple at this time of year.
Instead of cooking at home, we’re ordering pizza and wings for pre-trick-or-treat dinner and I’m whipping up these super simple semi-homemade Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes for dessert. I just plan on topping them with one of those little pumpkin candies you can find near the candy corn to make them a little more festive.
You all know I love my doctored cake mix recipes, and I couldn’t resist giving it a seasonal twist.
The result is these pumpkin spice cupcakes that are so irresistibly moist you can’t stop at just one!
If you love pumpkin bundt cake, you’ll definitely fall for the combo of spice cake mix and pumpkin. The lightly spiced cream cheese frosting makes the cupcakes so special.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS PUMPKIN CUPCAKE RECIPE
This recipe starts out with a box of spice cake mix. Spice cake mix is already going to be soft and tender, but we are going to make it even better!
Gather up your ingredients:
- Spice cake mix
- Instant vanilla pudding mix (not ready to cook!)
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Sour cream
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract (not vanilla essence)
For the frosting, you’ll also need cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar.
This recipe makes 24 cupcakes, so you’ll also need either two 12-cup muffin pans, a 24-cup muffin pan, or you can bake the cupcakes in batches.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice.
Beat in the pumpkin, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. You can do this using a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. The batter should be smooth and creamy with no dry bits.
Pour the batter into the muffin cups. I use a large cookie scoop to help make my cupcakes all the same size, but you can use a measuring cup or spoon.
Bake the cupcakes until they have risen and the tops spring back when gently touched. A toothpick inserted in the center will also come out clean.
Be sure to let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
For the frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter and beat again. This helps ensure a perfectly creamy result!
If you forgot to set your cream cheese out to soften ahead of time, don’t worry. I have some great tips for how to soften cream cheese quickly.
Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating until it is all mixed in and smooth. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, then taste and adjust flavorings if needed.
Keep beating until the frosting is very fluffy, then frost the cupcakes using an offset spatula or piping bag.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER PUMPKIN
Since this recipe only uses 1 cup of pumpkin, you’ll likely have some left over for another dish!
Try a batch of my pumpkin molasses sandwich cookies. If you have leftover frosting, it’s perfect for these cookies.
My soft and tender pumpkin cookies with vanilla glaze are also a great option.
You can even have pumpkin for breakfast if you make pumpkin baked oatmeal!
STORAGE TIPS
Store these cupcakes in an airtight container within the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze them for longer storage.
To freeze cupcakes, wait until they are completely cooled. You can either frost them or leave them plain.
Transfer to a freezer-safe container, seal, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
Of course, these pumpkin spice cupcakes are so good, you won’t need to worry about freezing any leftovers — you won’t have any!
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4 ounces
- 1 ½ teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ pound confectioners’ sugar about 2 ½ to 3 cups
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice, then beat in pumpkin, sour cream, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for about two minutes on medium speed until well combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.
- Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 10 minutes.
- Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the butter and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until it is completely incorporated. Add in vanilla and mix until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and check the frosting for taste and texture. Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the mixture for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and if desired, garnish with festive Fall sprinkles.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
beautiful shots=)
Made this as a bundt cake and used a cream cheese glaze instead for thanks a bunch for the great idea . I am glad I am not the only baker who uses Dr. Cake mix.
Made these for a firm potluck…they were AMAZING. I got so many compliments on the cupcakes and frosting (although, I did make some edits to the frosting by adding some shortening, just to make it a bit thicker).
On another note, I am in love with your blog. I am pinning a lot of your recipes for a future date. I was wondering if you had a “doctored” version of red velvet cupcakes starting from cake mix. I have leftover frosting from these, and a box of red velvet cake mix, and was planning on making them this weekend. Please let me know. Thank you again for this cupcake recipe, again, AMAZING!
Jennifer-
No, I’m sorry, I do not have a recipe. If you do happen to find a good recipe, feel free to stop back and let us know how it turned out – have a great day!
-Jamie
This looks delicious!! and I must confess I am making this right now! Just a quick question….is the batter suppose to be very dense?
I have seen the gluten free mixes at the grocery store. Have you or anyone else tried subbing in one for a regular mix. I love the idea of the making it work for everyone at work but haven’t used one of the mixes before.
Although they were muffin like then I would pick the substitution with a yellow gluten free mix worked with the addition of the extra spices that would be in spice cake. Everyone in the staff loved them including the gluten free but doesn’t love cream cheese frosting!
As a brit i wont be able to find Duncan Hines Signature Spice Cake :( Any help???
These look brill! Can’t wait to have a go.
I’m drooling over this recipe! My birthday is in November, so I might just have to celebrate by making these!
I’m so glad that I’m not the only food blogger who has forgotten, until later in the evening, of a promise to bring goodies to work the next day. The last time it happened, I had the same thought as you–to stop at the local bakery on the way to work. And, just like you, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I ended up baking well past midnight. :)
I have been a fan of your recipes for almost a year now. I made these for my daughter school and they were a hit!! Here in PR I could not find the Duncan Spice Cake mix so I used the yellow cake mix and added 2 spoons of the pumpkin pie spice mix and they turned out perfect. This recipe is going to be my favorite of the season. Thanks
Pilar-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe – thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback! Have a great day.
-Jamie