EASY PEASY PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

There is no better way to celebrate fall than with these piece-of-cake pumpkin cupcakes and fluffy cream cheese frosting. They’re super easy, and always a crowd pleaser. The recipe is below, but before I get there, wanted to share a quote with you that I’ve been thinking about.

“The only thing standing between you and your dreams is … reluctance.” –Carroll Bryant

I like this quote, but it’s really easy to hate. It’s one of those inspirational “get up and do it” quotes that sounds like it should be on a poster somewhere in a middle school with a rainbow and a cloud. But…

Last year, my husband started listening to and acting like the people who just do it. He started his own web and integrated marketing business – one month before our first baby was born – because his dream was to be able to work from anywhere at any time. And it feels like he’s getting there.

I’ve got dreams too. I want to travel, to see other cultures, to learn another language, to take a baking class – but I haven’t done those things. It’s not the right time, it would be really hard, we don’t have the money. Logically, I know those are excuses – but it FEELS like they’re very real.

There are a lot of really successful people in the world, and my theory is that they’re the same ones who read that quote and think, “okay.” Maybe there’s not any magic to it. You just do the work.

Print

EASY PEASY PUMPKIN CUPCAKES

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups flower
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick butter softened
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until clumps are removed. 

2. Separately, whisk together pumpkin, brown sugar, white sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl. One at a time, whisk the eggs into the pumpkin mixture.
   

3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thick and dark orange. Spoon the batter into cupcake tins, filling about two-thirds of the way full. 

4. Bake 20 minutes.
   

5. Meanwhile, get the frosting ready. Add the butter and cream cheese into a standing mixer or large bowl and beat at medium speed until creamy and smooth. Then, add vanilla and powdered sugar in one cup at a time. Continue mixing at medium speed until all the sugar has been added and the frosting becomes light and fluffy. I like to PRO TIP: Cover the stand mixer with to keep the powdered sugar from going everywhere. 
   

   

6. Remove cupcakes and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, remove and place on cooling racks and allow to come to room temperature before frosting. 

Recipe Notes

Sprinkle cinnamon over the tops just after frosting for some added spice and aesthetic.