Spiced Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream
Spiced cupcakes with maple buttercream are a wonderfully sweet dessert filled with the warm flavors of Fall. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger mix perfectly with the subtle flavor of maple.
Is Fall here yet? Not technically, but it will be in the next couple of weeks. I’m more than ready for cooler weather, holidays, and all the recipes that come with the season.
Spiced cupcakes are one of our favorite fall desserts. Normally, they’d be topped with a vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
However, this time, I thought a maple buttercream would be nice.
The maple flavor works perfectly with the spices in the cupcakes.
It ties everything together beautifully and really puts these spiced cupcakes over the top.
You won’t believe how easy these cupcakes are to make. I like to start with a boxed cake mix and add a few extra ingredients similar to this Tres Leches Cake.
A boxed mix works fine by itself, but I’ve found that sometimes the cupcakes dry out within a day or two.
The addition of the extra ingredients makes these spiced cupcakes moist for days.
That’s not to say that I don’t like making cupcakes from scratch, but from time to time a semi-homemade cupcake recipe doesn’t hurt. 🙂
So, here’s how easy these spiced cupcakes are to make.
Simply place all the cupcake ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine.
If the batter is a bit lumpy, increase the mixer speed for about 2 minutes until the batter is smooth.
Use a measuring cup to fill the cupcake liners about half full. Trust me here, don’t over the liners.
I’ve done that one too many times and the tops get much larger than expected. Bake the cupcakes for approximately 18 to 22 minutes.
Be sure to let them cool before topping with the buttercream.
The buttercream is just as simple to put together. Place all the ingredient in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined.
I used real maple syrup in the buttercream for this recipe. However, you could easily substitute it with maple extract.
Be sure to start with a small amount, about a half a teaspoon and work up from there. A little milk may also be required to help the buttercream come together.
Add the milk a couple teaspoons at a time until the desired thickness is reached.
Top the spiced cupcakes with the maple buttercream and there you go! Cupcakes that are perfect for Fall.
Other Desserts to Try:
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Cake
- Cherry Hand Pies
- Macadamia Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting
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How to Video
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 16 ½ ounces spice cake mix, 1 box; (We used Duncan Hines brand.)
- 3 large eggs
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding, 1 box; (We used Jell-O Brand.)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Maple Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Instructions
Cupcake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine.16 ½ ounces spice cake mix3 large eggs3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding¾ cup sour cream¾ cup vegetable oil½ cup water1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Use a scoop or measuring cup to fill cupcake liners approximately half full. Bake cupcakes for about 18 to 22 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Maple Buttercream
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until well combined.1 cup unsalted butter4 cups powdered sugar4 tablespoons pure maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk until desired thickness is reached.
- Use a cupcake decorator or pastry bag to frost the cooled cupcakes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
These are truly easy and delicious! I made these for the first time last month and my daughter loved them so much she asked me to bake them for her baby shower this weekend. Happy to oblige!
Next I’ll check out the fruity pebbles cupcake which my daughter in law may enjoy.
Hi Ann Marie!
We’re so happy to hear that! The spiced cupcakes are one of our more popular recipes during fall. The Fruity Pebbles cupcakes are also a favorite. We hope your daughter in law enjoys them. Have a wonderful day! 🙂
My family loved them…. Great flavor to start the fall season.
Thanks so much, Sam!
We’re happy to hear everyone enjoyed the cupcakes. They are a wonderful fall recipe. Have a fantastic weekend! 🙂
This cupcakes were amazing! The spice cake went really well with the maple frosting. This is a new fall favorite 🤩
I made these cupcakes and they are delicious. Light and moist. I added an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and 2 teaspoons of milk to get the right consistency. Definitely a keeper.
OMG Yum! This sounds amazing . I definitely want to give this a try.
I’m so happy you used a box mix…I’m don’t love baking so these little short cuts are so helpful to me. These looks so perfect and awesome for fall!