This isn’t your average carrot cake recipe. It’s loaded with pumpkin, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice for the greatest flavor combination in history. And then I topped it with the most amazing frosting of all time…Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting – the cupcakes you need to make this Fall!
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I have maple on the brain right now. Pumpkin and maple. A few days ago I shared these marvelous Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Maple Glaze and my mouth is still watering just thinking about them.
I knew that combination needed to happen again, and soon. What better way to combine those flavors than in carrot cake…cupcakes! Cake is amazing but cupcakes are definitely more fun. Plus, I can eat an entire cupcake and not feel the least bit guilty. Try that with a cake and see what happens 😉 I mean, who can stop at just one slice?
This isn’t your average carrot cake recipe. It’s loaded with pumpkin, maple, and pumpkin pie spice for the greatest flavor combination in history.
Since I’m a total sucker for all things maple, I included it in both the cupcakes and the frosting. Oh, the frosting! I would happily enter into a diabetic coma if the reason for it was this frosting. In a word – irresistible.
My boys devoured four of these cupcakes before I could even get them frosted. Sweet enough to stand without it, but ever so much better with it is my opinion.
Like these cupcakes, for instance, they were just crying out for a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice on top of that luscious frosting. Who am I to say no to pumpkin pie spice on top of maple frosting?
Granted, I have zero self control, buuut, as you can see, they look so much happier with a little sprinkling of spice 🙂
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Bars
- Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Bread
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter
- Sweet Pumpkin Empanadas
How To Make Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Pumpkin Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 cup maple syrup real maple syrup
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded carrot
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 2 Tbls maple syrup
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp maple extract optional
- 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Cream brown sugar and butter together in mixer.
- Add in eggs, one a time, beating until fully combined.
- Mix in pumpkin and maple syrup.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture, stirring just until combined.
- Stir in shredded carrots.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Makes 18 cupcakes
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the frosting.
- Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Allow several minutes for the brown sugar to dissolve completely. Check for graininess and then continue beating as necessary.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting. Store frosted cupcakes in fridge for a firmer frosting.
Nutrition
More pumpkin recipes you don’t want to miss:
Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Maple Glaze
For all pumpkin recipes, go HERE.
For all Halloween ideas, go HERE.
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Debbie says
Is the frosting supposed to be completely smooth? It’s still grainy after endless beating! I wonder if I’ll just use my usual go to frosting. The cupcakes are okay tho.