These are pumpkin spice cupcakes with marshmallow frosting. Top these flavorful cupcakes with thick & creamy marshmallow frosting thatโs made with store-bought marshmallow creme. Pumpkin and marshmallow make a divine flavor duo that elegantly pairs spice and sweet. If desired, swap the marshmallow frosting with the salted caramel frosting used on apple cupcakes or try the cinnamon cream cheese frosting used on these banana cupcakes.
I love this pumpkin cupcakes recipe. Theyโre soft, lighter than today’s version, and cakeyโeverything you expect from a handheld cake! Today’s cupcakes are little heartier, almost like a muffin. Not a bad thing!
Tell Me About These Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
- Texture: These are moist and soft pumpkin cupcakes with a slightly denser texture. The marshmallow frosting is fluffy, creamy, and wonderfully smooth.
- Flavor: What my team and I love most about these pumpkin cupcakes is that they arenโt overly sweet. Oftentimes we find that pumpkin desserts are stripped from their deep, complex pumpkin flavor because they are weighed down with too much sugar. Not here because you get the sweetness you need in the marshmallow frosting.
- Ease: These pumpkin cupcakes with marshmallow frosting sound complex but the recipe is pretty straightforward using common baking ingredients. Decorate however youโd like with a knife or piping tip. In the pictured cupcakes, I used my trusty Wilton #12 round tip.
*If you ever need guidance on decorating with piping tips, hereโs my How to Use Piping Tips video.
Choosing the Right Ingredients
- Brown Sugar: Only 2/3 cup of brown sugar sweetens this batch of cupcakes (brown sugar for a touch of molasses flavor, of course), so the pumpkin and robust spices can really stand out. Typical cupcake recipes with the same yield call for 1 or more cups of sugar.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can purchase pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle or use this homemade pumpkin pie spice blend. If you have individual spices, use ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. See recipe Note for details.
- Heavy Cream: I recommend heavy cream over milk or half-and-half in the marshmallow frosting to obtain the creamiest texture and richest taste.
By the way, if you love marshmallow flavor, you could easily swap out this frosting with homemade marshmallow meringue frosting. Itโs like marshmallow creme, but can be piped onto cakes and cupcakes.
And if you ever need extra advice or guidance when it comes to cupcake baking, hereโs my Tips for Baking the Best Cupcakes page.
You could even swap the marshmallow frosting for the same cinnamon swirl frosting used on these snickerdoodle cupcakes. Salted caramel frosting would be excellent as well. Garnish with a pumpkin candy to make a festive treat:
More Favorite Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Bars
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Donuts
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Pumpkin Pie
Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 12-14 cupcakes
- Category: Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Perfectly spiced pumpkin cupcakes topped with a generous “cloud” of marshmallow frosting.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar*
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (227g) pumpkin puree (canned is best here)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Marshmallow Frosting
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup marshmallow cremeย (marshmallowย fluff)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream*
- 2 cupsย (240g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Spray aย 12-count muffin pan with non-stick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Makeย the cupcakes: In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spiceย together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs together until combined. Whisk inย the pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do NOT overmix the batter.
- Spoon the batterย into the prepared cupcake cups. Fill only about 1/2 – 2/3 full. If you have extra batter for 1-2 cupcakes, bake a 2nd batch.ย Bake for 17-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Makeย the frosting:ย In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, marshmallow creme, vanilla, and cream on medium speed until completely smooth. Add 2ย cups confectioners’ย sugar and the salt slowly with the mixer running on low, then increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute. If it looks too thin, add 1/4 cup more confectioners’ย sugar. Frost cooled cupcakes however you’d like. I used a Wilton #12 piping tip.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cupcakesย canย be made ahead 1 day in advance, covered, and stored at room temperature. Frostingย canย also be made 1 day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Decorate/assemble cupcakes immediately before serving. Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 days. Frosted or unfrosted cupcakesย canย be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton #12 Piping Tip
- Pumpkin Pie Spice:ย You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you donโt have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamonโyou will still add that.
- Cream: Use heavy cream in this frosting recipe. It’s preferred over milk or half-and-half because it lends the creamiest texture and richest taste.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Is there any substitute for the heavy cream in the frosting? I have someone that canโt tolerate most dairy except butter. Thank you!
Hi Amy, some nondairy readers use canned coconut milk in place of heavy cream. Let us know if you try it!
Hello!
I would like to make the marshmallow frosting to use between cake layers (I’ll use a different frosting on the outside). Would this work? I’m going to make your deliciously moist chocolate layer cake. Should I halve the frosting if I’m only using it between layers?
Thanks so much Sally and team!
Hi Ashley, we donโt typically recommend using it as a filling for cake, but you could certainly use it to frost the outside of a cake. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for the fast reply! I just pulled the cakes out of the oven to cool, so I will use your chocolate frosting listed with the cake recipe instead.
It’s really wonderful to have such a reliable site as Sally’s. The recipes have always worked out for me and are incredibly informative. Getting such a fast reply as I am in the process of baking is so helpful. I hope everyone there knows how appreciated you are!
Hello! I made these and they are delicious! Just wondering if I could make this into a cake using 2 nine inch pans and this marshmallow frosting for middle and top layer? Thanks!
Hi Lisa! Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Can I use 1/3 cup buttermilk instead of regular milk? How would that change the outcome? Thank you!
Hi Madeline, absolutely! Same amount.
What is the difference between this recipe and the regular pumpkin cupcakes recipe? Other than a couple of the ingredients being different amounts. Which one is better?
Hi Holly, I find these cupcakes are a little denser, sort of like a muffin. Both are great. If you want a lighter-textured cupcake, use the pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.