How to make pumpkin cupcakes with buttercream frosting and fall sprinkles
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The fall time is one of my favorite seasons, with so many different foods to make and photograph that can be paired with many different fall colors. One of the most popular fall sweets is pumpkin pie, and of course, I had to make a pumpkin cupcake recipe and shoot.
These pumpkin cupcakes are perfect with an Italian buttercream frosting, which the recipe can be found here. For these cupcakes, you can really use either traditional or Italian buttercream, but I prefer to use the Italian buttercream for this recipe because it’s far less rich than traditional, which allows for more flavor from the actual cupcake.
More Cupcakes Recipes
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- Easy Marshmallow Meringue Frosting for Cakes and Cupcakes
- How to Make American Flag Mini Cupcakes for 4th of July
- How to Make Fancy Chocolate Cupcakes Using Boxed Mix
- Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes with Creamy Raspberry Frosting
- How to Make Ombre Frosting for Cupcakes (Step-by-Step)
Italian Buttercream Frosting Recipe
In addition to the frosting, I like to put on some festive fall-colored sprinkles to decorate the cupcakes. These cupcakes taste just like pumpkin pie and are perfect for an on-the-go snack or for a kid’s dessert. For these cupcakes (and most of my other cupcakes and muffins), I used shiny metal cupcake liners. I really love using these instead of normal , since grease usually soaks through them, which doesn’t really look good on camera. When pouring out the dough into the muffin pan, I always use a to ensure consistent amounts of dough in each cupcake, which also helps keep the cooking area clean.
Pumpkin Cupcakes With Italian Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Ground Allspice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ cup Butter Softened
- 1 cup White Sugar
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs Room Temperature
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree 15 oz. can
Italian Buttercream Frosting
- 4 Large Egg Whites
- 1 ⅓ cups Sugar
- 1 ½ pinch Salt
- 2 cups Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease 22 muffin cups or line them with paper liners to prevent sticking.
- Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat ½ cup (115 g) of butter with white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Place the egg whites and ⅓ of the sugar in a stand mixer bowl and whisk on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- In a small saucepan, combine the remaining sugar with ⅓ cup (80 ml) of water and heat over medium without stirring until it reaches 240°F (115°C) on a candy thermometer.
- With the mixer running, carefully drizzle the hot syrup between the side of the bowl and the whisk. Continue whipping until the mixture cools completely, about 10–15 minutes.
- When the meringue is thick and glossy, beat in the salt. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, mixing until smooth and silky. Beat in the vanilla extract. If the buttercream is too soft, whip on high speed until firm.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting with Italian Buttercream.
- Enjoy your perfectly fluffy pumpkin cupcakes topped with silky buttercream.
Nutrition
Food Photography & Video Tips from My Studio
Here’s a peek at the tools, gear, and camera setups I use to film my recipe videos and photograph food at home. Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of different setups, and now I’m sharing what actually works for me—whether I’m filming overhead shots for YouTube or styling still photos for my blog. If you’re curious about how I create the content you see here, these posts are a great place to start.
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