Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes are everything good about fall in a cupcake liner. Pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and a shot of espresso baked into a soft, tender crumb. Whipped cream cheese frosting on top and a drizzle of homemade salted caramel to finish.
They taste like a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte in cupcake form. I make them the first week the weather drops below 60 and keep making them until Thanksgiving.
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Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Inspired
These cupcakes are my take on the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte. Pumpkin, warm fall spices, and a shot of espresso in the batter. The whipped cream cheese frosting mimics the whipped cream on top of the real drink. The salted caramel drizzle is the finishing touch.
Pair them with my pumpkin spice latte copycat drink for the full coffee shop effect at home.
Why These Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes Work
The espresso is not optional. Two tablespoons of espresso powder dissolved into a quarter cup of warm coffee. It does not make the cupcakes taste like coffee. It makes the pumpkin and spices taste deeper and warmer. Without it, you have pumpkin spice cupcakes. With it, you have pumpkin spice latte cupcakes.
Buttermilk keeps the crumb soft. It reacts with the baking soda and lifts the batter so the cupcakes are tender instead of dense. No buttermilk on hand? Combine a tablespoon of lemon juice with a cup of milk and let it sit for five minutes. Use three quarters of a cup of the mixture and discard the rest.
Room temperature eggs beat easier and trap more air. Cold eggs make the batter stiff and the cupcakes heavy. Pull them out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start.
Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Pumpkin pie mix has added sugar and spices that throw off the balance of the recipe. Pure pumpkin is just winter squash. You control the spice blend yourself. Cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves measured from your own pantry.
Do not overmix the batter. Once the flour goes in, stir until just combined and stop. Overmixing builds gluten and gluten makes cupcakes dense and chewy. A few streaks of flour in the batter are fine.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
The frosting is cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream whipped until thick and peaks form. It is lighter than a standard cream cheese frosting. The heavy cream gives it volume and makes it pipe smooth. Drizzle homemade salted caramel sauce over the top and the cupcakes look like they came from a bakery.
Make Ahead and Storage
Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Wrap them individually and freeze for up to two months. Thaw on the counter and frost the day you serve them.
Frosted cupcakes keep in the fridge for up to three days. Bring them to room temperature before serving. The caramel sauce is best drizzled fresh, so hold off on that until right before serving.
More Fall Desserts
For more fall baking, browse my fall desserts and my cupcake recipes. My pumpkin gingerbread cupcakes are another fall favorite with warm gingerbread spice. My pumpkin cinnamon rolls are breakfast but they taste like dessert.
For more pumpkin cupcakes, try my pumpkin gingerbread cupcakes with warm gingerbread spice. My spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are another fall favorite.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 oz pure canned pure pumpkin
- ¾ cup butter - unsalted & softened
- 3 eggs
- 2 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk*
- ¼ cup coffee + 2 tablespoon espresso powder
Homemade Pumpkin Spice
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese - room temperature
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups heavy cream
- Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line muffin tins with 24 liners.
- Cream together the softened butter and the granulated sugar.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the pumpkin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Warm ¼ cup of coffee and add 2 tablespoon of espresso and mix well.
- Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Alternate with the buttermilk and the coffee.
- Beat until just combined, do not over mix.
- Equally fill 24 muffin liners with the cupcake batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure they are done before removing from the oven.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cook completely.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat together the room temperature cream cheese and the confectioner's sugar until smooth.
- Add in the vanilla extract.
- Beat in the heavy cream and beat until frosting becomes thick and peaks form.
- Decorate cupcakes and top with drizzled caramel sauce if desired.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. The mix has added sugar and spices that will throw off the recipe.
- Do not skip the espresso. It does not make the cupcakes taste like coffee. It deepens the pumpkin and spice flavors.
- Do not overmix. Stir until just combined. A few flour streaks in the batter are fine.
- No buttermilk? Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 cup milk. Let sit 5 minutes. Use ¾ cup and discard the rest.
- Unfrosted cupcakes freeze for up to 2 months. Frost the day you serve. The caramel drizzle is best added fresh.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
YUM! OK this looks SO good. I need to try this. Thanks for the recipe!!
Enjoy!! 🙂
OK these are not only gorgeous but they are so fun and full of fall flavors! Thank you so much!
Do I have to use esspeso powder or can I just use the brewed espresso shots?
Yes, you can use those. 🙂
What type of coffee do use? Non coffee drinker here 💙
Instant coffee would work just fine. You can get it in small packets 🙂
@Dana, thanks so much I used black coffee from Starbucks worked great. But my icing came out so watery. Is it 2 3/4 cups and two cups? It never came together I ended up having to add so much more sugar for it to thicken up