Meet Pumpkin Cupcakes with Marshmallow frosting. These cupcakes have a deep pumpkin spice flavor and are topped with a smooth, velvety marshmallow fluff buttercream. They are perfect for any gathering and are sure to get rave reviews from friends and family!
Why These Pumpkin Cupcakes Work
- Accessible ingredients: Every ingredient in this recipe is likely already in your pantry or can be found at your local grocery store
- EASY preparation: You need two bowls and a whisk for the cupcake base
- Festive for fall: These cupcakes are bursting in fall flavor with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- Simple to serve: These cupcakes aren’t messy or complicated and are the perfect individual portion
Moist Pumpkin Cupcake Ingredients
All Purpose Flour: Simple, plain, white all purpose flour is the way to go in this recipe. Ensure you measure it properly by using a kitchen scale ($10) or by using a spoon to bring the flour to your measuring cups before using a knife to level the tops.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These two leavening agents work together to create a gorgeous dome and fluffy texture in these cupcakes.
Salt: Though there’s only 1/4 teaspoon salt, it brings out the real flavor of these cupcakes!
Cinnamon & Nutmeg: This pair adds deep and festive fall flavor to these pumpkin cupcakes.
Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is the base of this recipe. Instead of using butter, oil creates more moisture and moisture that lasts. You can substitue vegetable oil for another unflavored oil if necessary.
Egg: You’ll need one egg at room temperature for this recipe. It’s incredibly important to use a room temperature egg for best results, so leave the egg out 1-2 hours ahead of time or place it in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes before using.
Light Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: What is a cupcake without sugar? Both granulated sugar and light brown sugar are used in these homemade pumpkin marshmallow cupcakes for structure, moisture, and flavor!
Pumpkin Puree: Pumpkin puree, canned pumpkin, pure pumpkin.. whatever you want to call it is fabulous! Ensure that there are no other ingredients listed besides pumpkin!
FAQ
Pumpkin puree is pure pumpkin. It’s baked pumpkin that has been processed into a smooth mixture. You are more than welcome to make a homemade version, but canned pumpkin will do just the same! Do not get this ingredient confused with pumpkin pie filling, which contains many other ingredients besides pumpkin.
Both granulated sugar and brown sugar are used in this recipe. They have different flavors and add different levels of moisture to these cupcakes. Therefore, I do not recommend substituting one for the other if you do not have one of the two.
You absolutely can! I recommend freezing the unfrosted cupcakes in a freezer bag or container and/or individually wrapped in at least two layers of cling wrap. Leave the cupcakes out at room temperature to thaw before decorating and serving.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Measuring Properly: Baking is a science. Unlike many savory dishes, the measurements in this recipe need to be as precise as possible. This means that your dash of salt or eyeballing of milk will not serve you well in this recipe. PLEASE use your cups and teaspoons or a kitchen scale.
- Mixing: Do not mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together for longer than you need to. You want the batter to be smooth, and you don’t want to see any flour mixture in the batter, but you do not want to mix past that point. Doing so will impact the texture and structure of your cupcakes!
- Serving: I recommend serving these cupcakes as close to the time you bake them as possible. Cupcakes, specifically, lose moisture the longer they sit. Even though these are rather moist thanks to the vegetable oil, these are best when fresh!
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Pumpkin Marshmallow Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Cupcakes, Pumpkin, Fall, Fall Desserts, Holiday
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These moist and flavorful pumpkin cupcakes are topped with the smoothest and silkiest marshmallow frosting. They are made with a handful of ingredients in just 40 minutes and are sure to impress any crowd!
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 ⅓ cup (187g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (80g) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg (50g), room temperature
- ½ cup (130g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (190g) pumpkin puree
For the Marshmallow Frosting
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (100g) marshmallow fluff
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30g) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
For the Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add liners to a 12-cavity muffin tray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together with a whisk until combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk vegetable oil, room temperature egg, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin puree together with a whisk until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, using a whisk to carefully combine the two. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Divide batter between the 12 liners, about 1/4 of batter per liner. The liners should be about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-24 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes are set, the centers spring back when poked with your pointer finger, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting. Prepare frosting as they cool.
For the Marshmallow Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth.
- Slowly, add the powdered sugar to the butter while mixing on low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add marshmallow fluff to the mixture on medium speed and beat until smooth. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the frosting and beat on medium high speed for two minutes until smooth and velvety.
- Transfer frosting to piping bag fitted with a piping tip of your choice or frost with a knife or spoon. Store cupcakes tightly covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Keywords: Pumpkin Cupcakes, Marshmallow Frosting, Pumpkin Desserts, Moist Cupcakes
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