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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. 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.
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Spiced Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 16.5 Ounce Package of Spice Cake Dry Mix (We used Duncan Hines)
- 3 Large Eggs
- 3.4 Ounce Package for Instant Vanilla Pudding Dry Mix (We used Jell-O Brand)
- 3/4 Cup Sour Cream
- 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Maple Buttercream
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (2 Sticks)
- 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
Cupcake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine.
- 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.
- 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.
Dawn says
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.
John says
Thank you, Dawn! Kim and I are glad you enjoyed the cupcakes and made everything work for you. Thank you again for coming back to comment and rate the recipe. Have a lovey day 🙂
Kristen Raney says
Your cupcakes look divine! Buttercream is my favourite icing.
John says
Thank you, Kristen! Us too. Have a lovely day 🙂
Anna says
These looks so delicious, I might try this for my daughter birthday . Looking at these pictures just makes me hungry. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
John says
Thank you, Anna! I hope you and your daughter enjoy the cupcakes. Have a lovely day 🙂
Jessica Wagner says
This sounds sooooo amazing!! Totally putting me in the mood for a nice warm fall cup of tea and a cupcake (or 3!) XO
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John says
Thank you, Jessica! I hope you enjoy the cupcakes and the tea, as many you as you want lol! Have a lovely Tuesday 🙂
Courtney- Life Of A Med School Wife says
OMG Yum! This sounds amazing . I definitely want to give this a try.
John says
Thank you, Courtney! We hope you enjoy the cupcakes. Have a lovely day 🙂
Erin Klema | The Epicurean Traveler says
Oh my goodness do these spiced cupcakes look delightful! That maple buttercream sounds so dreamy. I’m always a fan of buttercream frosting. It just tastes the best. So rich. So decadent. So creamy and smooth.
John says
Thank you, Erin! Us too, cream cheese frosting is good too, but buttercream is still the best. Thank you again for commenting, have a great day 🙂
Susannah says
That maple buttercream looks amazing!!! I’ll have to try it!
John says
Thank you, Susannah! We hope you enjoy the icing 🙂
Trish says
Yum!!! I’m needing one of these right now to go with my cup of coffee!! lol 🙂
John says
Thank you, Trish! I’m glad you like them. Have a great day 🙂
Jen says
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!
John says
Thank you, Jen! I know what you mean. Personally, I’m not the strongest baker, so I try to incorporate boxed mixes when I can. Kim, on the other hand, bakes all the time, but I’m glad she opted for the box mix for this recipe as well. Have a lovely Day, Jen!