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Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Several pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon streusel on a burlap cloth

Hey!

So..yeah, Day 11 with no power.

BUT…our new, snazzy generator finally got delivered that we ordered before the storm.

So now I can do things like, flush my toilet…or take a warm shower…or heat my house…and even bake cupcakes!

Certainly I shouldn’t be too worried about cupcaking in the midst of hurricane devastation…but cupcaking makes me feel normal.  And happy.

So I decided that today I would make some big, showy cupcakes.

And I will tell you, they were worth it.

They’re pretty…they’re yummy and they have the longest name ever:  Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Yep, rolls off the tongue.

Pumpkin cupcake with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and streusel on top

There is a lot going on here, but I promise it all works.

And each step is easy.

Honest.

First make your cupcakes.

The cupcakes are simple…

Just whisk your dry ingredients together…

Top view of dry cupcake ingredients in a bowl with a whisk

Then mix up some butter, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and eggs…

Combine your wet and dry ingredients.

Pumpkin cupcake batter in a stand mixer bowl

Then fill up your liners…about 2/3 full.

Pumpkin cupcake batter in paper-lined muffin tins

Bake them 15-20 minutes or so…

Next you get to make some simple shortbread streusel.

This stuff is so yummy.

Just flour, butter, sugar and water…oh yeah, and a little cinnamon.

Mix it until it forms a crumble…spread it out on a lined baking sheet…

Shortbread streusel on a baking sheet

And bake it for about 20-25 minutes.

You can break apart the crumbles a few times while baking…

You don’t want it to get too brown…just slightly golden.  It will harden more as it cools.

Baked shortbread streusel crumbles on a baking sheet

Finally you have to make your frosting.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Melt some white chocolate….

White chocolate chips in a glass mixing bowl

Mix it up with some cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar…

Pipe it on your cupcakes when they are cooled.

Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Top them all off with that yummy shortbread streusel…

And if you’re feeling crazy, drizzle a little caramel all over that.

Make them.

Trust me.

Half of a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting and streusel topping
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Pumpkin Cupcakes

  • Author: Cookies & Cups
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These pumpkin cupcakes are moist and soft, with an indulgent white chocolate cream cheese frosting, and a buttery streusel topping. They’re easy to make, and full of fall flavors. 


Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin (100% pure pumpkin)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs

For the Streusel Topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

For the Frosting:

  • 1 (8 oz) block of cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
  2. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and baking powder, then set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, and mix together on medium speed until incorporated.
  6. Turn the mixer to low, and add in the dry ingredients, mixing until combined evenly.
  7. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with batter.
  8. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, until the centers are just set.
  9. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and cool completely.

Make the Streusel:

  1. In a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Mix a few seconds until well combined.
  2. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture is a coarse crumble.
  3. Sprinkle the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, and bake for 20 minutes. The streusel crumbs should turn golden. They will still feel soft, but will harden more as they cool.
  4. Remove the streusel from the oven and let it cool completely.

Make the Frosting:

  1. In mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Melt the white chocolate chips over a double boiler and add to the butter and cream cheese mixture.
  3. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Turn the mixer to low, and add in the powdered sugar. Turn the speed up to medium and beat until smooth.
  5. Let the frosting cool for 10 minutes before.

Assemble the Cupcakes:

  1. Frost with a few tablespoons of white chocolate cream cheese frosting, then top with streusel. Drizzle with caramel, if desired.

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for one day, or in the fridge for 5 days.
  • Pumpkin Cupcake recipe adapted from Food Network

Keywords: pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cupcake, pumpkin cupcake recipe, pumpkin spice cupcakes

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68 comments on “Cinnamon Streusel Pumpkin Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting”

    1. 100% Pure Pumpkin from the can, such as Libby’s. And yes, this could easily be adapted to be a cake.

  1. Hello! I just finished assembling my cupcakes, and they came out wonderfully! I sampled one when they came out of the oven and the texture and taste was perfect. I just wanted to mention in case this helps anyone – I doubled the cupcake recipe and made 22 cupcakes, but I made the streusel topping and the frosting according to the recipe above (did not double them). There was more than enough to generously frost and garnish all the cupcakes, and actually I still have about half the streusel left (and looking for ideas to use it up!) Thanks for the recipe!

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