Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting
ShareMoist homemade chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with creamy pumpkin buttercream frosting! A fun dessert for fall!
I’m beyond excited that it’s officially fall finally! It’s my absolute favorite time of year. The only downside this year has been the weather. It hasn’t felt at all fall-like most days. Super warm or muggy… not your typical New England fall weather. But New England weather isn’t always typical and we know the weather has been super wacky everywhere this year.
Thankfully I can rely on certain things to always happen in the fall…even if the weather is strange.
There’s always apples, pumpkins and foliage! I can deal with the strangely warm weather as long as I have those three things. It wouldn’t be fall without them!
The moment my favorite local apple farm opened for the season, I was there. I’ve been back several times since to restock and bonus… cortlands are finally in season! Yay! They’re the absolute best and you can’t convince me otherwise.
On our most recent trip to the apple farm, I did a mini photo session with my kids. A yearly tradition. SO much fun and we found so many cute spots that we’d never happened upon before, making this year’s pictures extra fun and special. I’m all about the everyday photos throughout the year, but it’s nice to have some staged photos too.
Now that it’s October, it’s officially pumpkin season in my book. I always hold out until October before cracking a can and sharing any new pumpkin recipes here. This year it was extra hard holding back. I was seriously craving pumpkin goodies.
I decided to ring in the pumpkin season with an extra good treat!
I love pumpkin and chocolate together. It’s seriously a match made in heaven. So, I combined them into one delicious treat!
Moist homemade chocolate pumpkin cupcakes, topped off with creamy pumpkin buttercream frosting! These cupcakes are an absolute must make for pumpkin fans! Enjoy as is or chilled! They’ll disappear fast, so grab one while you can, or make a double batch!
Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1/4 C unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 C light brown sugar
- 1/4 C granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 C pumpkin puree
Frosting:
- 6 Tb unsalted butter
- 3 Tb shortening
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 Tb light brown sugar
- 6 Tb pumpkin puree
- 3 3/4 C powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 7 paper liners.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix in flour and cocoa powder, followed by pumpkin puree. Continue mixing until fully combined and no streaks remain.
- Divide mixture between 7 paper liners, using a large cookie scoop.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan until easy to handle, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare frosting. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter and shortening. Mix in vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar. Scrape bowl as needed. Mix in pumpkin puree, followed by one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Continue mixing until fully combined. Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fit with a closed star tip, or other desired piping tip.
- Frost cupcakes as desired.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container or in the refrigerator for up to several days.
Notes
Items used in this recipe:
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These look crazy good! That pumpkin buttercream frosting seals the deal for me! Yum!
Thanks, Taylor!
I’m obsessed with these cupcakes and the frosting :)
Thanks so much, Aimee!
What a great way to start off pumpkin season! Love the pumpkin buttercream!
Thanks, Jessica!
that frosting… making me feel all the feels.
I miss fall in new england
You should visit every fall!! ;)
I was wondering about the amount of powdered sugar; it seams like 3 3/4 cups is a lot for only 7 cupcakes?
This is the correct amount for the proper consistency.
Made these cupcakes for the 1st time yesterday to bring for Thanksgiving. They came out great! Even my picky eater likes them (we had to sample them)! Happy Thanksgiving!!
So glad you both enjoyed them! :)
Hi Rachel, the icing came out great, but I feel like my cupcakes came out a little dry and almost a bit gritty. I did triple the recipe because I needed them for a party and 7 was not enough. I was wondering if I did something wrong or if you had any ideas as to what I could do differently next time? I baked them for 18 min. at 350. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed the frosting! As far as the cupcakes go, there definitely shouldn’t be an odd texture. They should be light and fluffy. It’s possible your measurements were off when you increased them or there was an issue with an individual ingredient used.