Each season has its own flavors. Summer, for example, focuses on those fresh and bright fruits. Fall brings in the pumpkin (pretty hardcore, too!) – but I believe pumpkin can also be a holiday flavor. It’s not JUST for autumn! I combined three of my favorite flavors that remind me of a crisp, fall day – pumpkin, caramel, and pecans. The creamy pumpkin, sweet caramel and nutty pecans come together to create a beautifully rich cupcake. Plus, you get a great crunch on the inside! Now, let’s celebrate fall… and winter with this fun cupcake!
Don’t be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. The recipe really is simple – it just has three different components (cake, filling and frosting) and a homemade pumpkin spice recipe 🙂
What you need:
Pumpkin Cupcakes
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 15 oz can pure pumpkin
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (see below)
Homemade Pumpkin Spice
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Caramel Pecan Filling
- 4 oz (1/3 of a 12 oz jar) caramel dessert topping
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin spice coffee creamer
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Make them:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the muffin pans – this silicone pan is AMAZING. Place cupcake liners in the cups.
Combine all of the cake ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 cup full with batter.
Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool completely on a cooling rack while you make the frosting. Check out these stacking tiered cooling racks!
Combine the caramel topping and pecans until well mixed.
Core each cupcake, and spoon in caramel pecan mixture.
Make the pumpkin spice buttercream:
As always, I recommend using a COLD bowl for buttercream. I stick my mixing bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes before making it.
Beat softened butter in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
Beat in pumpkin spice until fully incorporated.
Beat in the pumpkin spice creamer and heavy whipping cream.
Beat frosting for 4 minutes on medium high.
Frost your cooled cupcakes, then top with fun sprinkles, caramel and more festive flavors!
YUM!
Here are some other fun cupcakes to make:
Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 15 oz can pure pumpkin
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice see below
Homemade Pumpkin Spice
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Caramel Pecan Filling
- 4 oz 1/3 of a 12 oz jar caramel dessert topping
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin spice coffee creamer
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the muffin pans. Place cupcake liners in the cups.
- Combine all of the cake ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
- Fill muffin cups 2/3 cup full with batter.
- Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely on a cooling rack while you make the frosting.
- Combine the caramel topping and pecans until well mixed.
- Core each cupcake, and spoon in caramel pecan mixture.
Make the pumpkin spice buttercream:
- As always, I recommend using a COLD bowl for buttercream. I stick my mixing bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes before making it.
- Beat softened butter in a large mixing bowl until completely smooth and fluffy.
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar.
- Beat in pumpkin spice until fully incorporated.
- Beat in the pumpkin spice creamer and heavy whipping cream.
- Beat frosting for 4 minutes on medium high.
- Frost your cooled cupcakes, then top with fun sprinkles, caramel and more festive flavors!
Jeni’s Disclaimer: I’m just a regular girl. I love to drink wine while I bake. I’m by no means a professional baker or pro photographer. My creations aren’t staged, they just are what they are, and that’s probably obvious from the pictures. I create my recipes from inspiration of scents and flavors around me. I also repurpose my grandma’s old recipes. If you love to bake and your food ends up looking like REAL food, and not like something you’ll see on Instagram, you’re in the right place.
12 Comments
These look wonderful! Love the autumn colours and tastes!
These look soo good!! Thank you for the recipe
Such a lovely recipe, they look amazing!
Thanks SO much, Betsy! They really are amazing!
The filling in these cupcakes looks like it would be delicious.
We get get beautiful pumpkins and sweet potatoes from our farm co-op so I know that these cupcakes will be on the menu soon at my house!
That’s wonderful, Heather! Please let me know what you think of them!
These look amazing! I love anything pumpkin and the caramel pecan sounds like a tasty addition.
Thank you!! YES! The combination is absolutely perfect!
I pinned this and the Apple ???? ???? Cider Cupcakes ????
I am dying to make them I shared this one on My Facebook Page too! I have a silicone pan that I haven’t used yet – now I can. It twists so easy. Thank you for sharing these cupcake ???? recipes. I am always trying to find new desserts to bring to our holiday feasts.
Thanks for the recipe – these look great!
These look so good! Thanks for sharing.