Spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are soft, fluffy cupcakes loaded with cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg, then topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and a light dusting of cinnamon.
These are the cupcakes I reach for the second the air turns crisp. The spice blend is warm without being heavy and the cream cheese frosting cuts through just enough.
Why These Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Work
Five spices, not one. Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg each bring something different. Cinnamon is the base note. Ginger adds warmth. Allspice brings depth. Cloves give a sharp, aromatic hit. Nutmeg rounds it all out. Using individual spices instead of a jar of pumpkin pie spice gives you control over exactly how the cupcake tastes.
Sour cream makes the crumb tender. The acid in sour cream breaks down gluten just enough that the cupcakes stay soft and light instead of dense and dry. Do not swap it for milk.
Cream cheese frosting is the right frosting here. Buttercream would be too sweet. The tang of cream cheese plays off the warm spices. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if the frosting is too thick. Add a little cornstarch if you want it firmer.
Room temperature everything. Softened butter, room temperature eggs, and room temperature sour cream. Cold ingredients do not cream together properly. The batter comes out lumpy and the cupcakes bake unevenly.
Spoon and level the flour. Scooping straight from the bag packs in too much flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Dense cupcakes are almost always a flour problem.
How to Make Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Beat in half of the dry mixture until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining dry mixture and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Beat the room temperature butter until creamy. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and well combined. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt. Slowly beat in the confectioners sugar until the frosting is smooth. If needed, add one to two tablespoons of milk to thin the frosting.
- Frost the cooled cupcakes and dust the tops with cinnamon.
Quick Tips
- Use room temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream. Cold ingredients do not cream.
- Spoon and level the flour. Scooping packs in too much.
- Do not overmix. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
- Cool completely before frosting. Warm cupcakes melt the frosting.
- Add cornstarch for firmer frosting if you are piping it.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and freeze for up to two months. Thaw on the counter, then frost.
Cream cheese frosting can be made a day ahead. Store it in the fridge, then let it sit on the counter for fifteen minutes to soften before spreading.
This is a classic on my fall desserts roundup, right alongside my pumpkin spice latte cupcakes with espresso and salted caramel. My pumpkin gingerbread cupcakes with warm gingerbread spice are another autumn favorite.
📖 Recipe
Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Spice Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter - softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar - packed
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs - room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter - room temp
- 8 oz cream cheese - room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon of milk - as needed
- Dust with cinnamon
Instructions
Spice Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF
- Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners
- Sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice together in a bowl.
- Beat the softened butter and sugars together in a large bowl and beat until creamy.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Beat in half of the dry mixture and add in the sour cream.
- Mix the remaining dry mixture into the batter until just incorporated. Do not over mix
- Bake in the preheated oven for 23-25 minutes.
- Check the center of the cupcakes with a toothpick to check if they are done. The toothpick should come out dry.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the room temperature butter until creamy and beat in the cream cheese until well combined and smooth.
- Beat in the vanilla and the salt.
- Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until the frosting and smooth.
- If needed, add in one to two tablespoons of milk to thin the frosting.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream.
- Spoon and level the flour. Scooping packs in too much.
- Do not overmix. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
- Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
- For a firmer frosting, add a little cornstarch.
- Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge. Bring to room temp before serving.
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.
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I remember spice cake as a kid. This is the perfect time of year for these tasty cupcakes. Great for Thanksiving.
These spice cupcakes are perfect for fall baking! They came out wonderfully soft and moist and had just the right kick of spice. I'll want to make them again and again!
very flavorful I love the spices in these one of my favorite kind of cupcake!perfect for fall!
These were just delicious! The perfect fall recipe.
I made them for a brunch with the girls and everyone loved them 🙂
YES! These cupcakes are perfection. So fluffy and the icing is cream cheese heaven. Perfect for fall.
Gorgeous cupcakes. I love all the spices you used here. Sounds so seasonal and delicious. And that frosting?! Oh, my.. yum! I can't wait to make this.
I love that you loaded this up with so many of my favorite fall spices! Deliciousness in every bite!
These cupcakes turned out delicious! I love a spice cake recipe, takes me back to my childhood! I will definitely make these again!
These were wonderful. I made 12 the first time and they overflowed. Second batch, I made 21 and they were perfect. I filled mine with a pumpkin cream cheese filling too. Took them into work and most people came back for seconds.
Can these be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator? Thinking about making for thanksgiving but don’t want to sign myself up for too many things day off.
Thank you!
Yes, you can easily do that! I'd allow them to sit out to come to room temperature before serving though 🙂
The cupcake was pretty dense and dry.
My batter was very thick and a bit sticky. Is that what I should expect? Tricky getting into the cupcake liners.
Can I use self _rising flour for this cupcake recipe
Yes, you can.
Thanks for this! I tried making them and they turned out a bit dense but incredibly delicious! I don't think I mixed the butter and sugar enough; I mixed them on medium for about a minute until they were combined.
For anyone else doing this recipe I would recommend cutting the frosting recipe in half unless you're obsessed with cream cheese frosting. Even after I halved it, I only used about 2/3rds of the batch. However, I didn't pipe them I used a knife and put a decent sized blob on each.
I will be making these again soon!
I made the cupcake exactly as written and it's one of the best I've ever had... Very moist but doesn't fall apart, still has substance. The spice blend is perfect to me. This would be a great carrot cake base I think. I did not use the cream cheese frosting recipe. Instead I'm making a maple buttercream. These will be at Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Happy holidays!
(Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!)
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Courtney! The maple buttercream sounds delicious with these cupcakes! 🙂
Hi there,
Love these cupcakes! Is there any difference in the recipe to make this into a 9 inch round double layer cake? And would the cook time be around 30 to 35 minutes?
Great spice cake recipe. Believe it or not my son's favorite birthday cake is spice cake with peanut butter frosting! For his past birthday I made the spice cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. My husband and I love it too.
That combination sounds amazing!
Absolutely delicious! Even with my 3 and 5 year old helping bake and haphazardly measuring ingredients! Will definitely make again <3
Kids in the kitchen is the best thing ever! Thanks so much for sharing and I'm happy you loved the cupcakes!
great recipe but it made more than was said so i wasted batter which was horrible
What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly but the batter cane out thick. When baking, the cupcake baked over the edges of the cup and then flattened. Upon taste, the spices tasted wonderful but they fell apart and realized they had way too much butter. The liners were greasy. I reviewed the recipe several times and am certain I used the correct portions of all ingredients. I think I have to throw them out.
That’s so frustrating when that happens! The water content in the butter can affect how baked goods turn out, and the freshness of the baking powder and baking soda can make a big difference in how the cupcakes rise. It sounds like you did everything right, sometimes ingredients just behave differently. 💛