Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes: Rich, Moist Treats
Rich chocolate meets cozy pumpkin spice in these moist cupcakes topped with creamy pumpkin cream cheese frosting. Fall baking at its BEST!
Equipment
- Standard 12-cup muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
For the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 tablespoons salted butter 1 stick
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar plus extra if needed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Orange food coloring optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
- Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, then let it cool slightly.
- Whisk together both flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and all spices together.
- Beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three to four minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one in.
- Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla bean paste until the batter looks completely smooth.
- Stir in pumpkin puree until fully combined and batter turns orange-brown evenly throughout.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full with batter, leaving some room for them to rise.
- Bake 18-20 minutes until the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs only.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy with no lumps left.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, orange zest, and optional food coloring slowly.
- Beat frosting until light and fluffy, adding more sugar if you need a thicker consistency.
- Pipe or spread frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes using your preferred decorating style choice.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients mix more easily and create a much better cupcake texture overall.
- Don't overmix batter after adding flour to keep tender, fluffy cupcake texture intact.
- Store frosted cupcakes refrigerated because the cream cheese frosting needs to stay cold.
- Cupcakes can be frozen unfrosted for up to three months when wrapped tightly.
- Adjust frosting thickness by adding more powdered sugar or tiny amounts of milk.