Or Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes. Either way, it’s a mouth-ful.
I don’t know what it is about fall that makes me love pumpkin so much. Or is it the other way around? Do I love pumpkin so much that it makes the cold and wet autumn season easier to bear? Recently I have been wondering if I would love pumpkin goodies as much as I do if I could have them all year round. The jury is still out on that one.
Either way, it is fall now and regardless if the chicken or the egg came first, I love me my pumpkin treats. Pumpkin pies… pumpkin cheesecake… lattes… scones…
Each year as we near Thanksgiving now I look forward to making my Cheesecake-filled Pumpkin Cupcakes for friends and family. I love the compliments I get on these easy-to-make treats, and they really are delicious. I’m not really a cupcake fan but these are just the right amount of pumpkin, of spice, of fluffiness.
I’ve adjusted a recipe I found a few years ago in the Rachael Ray Magazine to my own liking. If you don’t already have a great pumpkin cupcake recipe, try her’s. Since I didn’t have any Pumpkin Pie Spice (I don’t even know what that is, to be honest), I just substituted in spices that I would normally use for my pie (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc).
It’s sort of a multi-step mixing process, especially with the layering of the pumpkin and the cheesecake but it is so worth it.
First layer: Pumpkin batter
I recommend using the smallest cookie scoop you can find in your kitchen. It’s going to make the layering just a bit more manageable.
Cheesecake filling in the middle!
Both batters are a bit on the thick side so you’re going to want to tap the pan on the table a few times. Be sure to tap on a level surface so the cupcakes don’t slide. If you have trouble with this, try greasing the pan before the liners go in so they don’t budge later. Times like these are when I wish I had a vibrating table. Layer the pumpkin batter on top again, pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let them completely cool before icing. I’ve never tried the buttercream recipe that is included with the cupcakes’ so I don’t have any comments on that and don’t know if the two go well. I always prefer cream cheese frostings to buttercreams so I paired mine with Orange Cream Cheese frosting. I found the slight orange flavor was a better pairing than just regular vanilla – it brought out the spices in the pumpkin just a bit more, offering a great complimenting pair.
An ordinary Pumpkin Cupcake made extraordinary
If nothing else, baking these yummy treats will for sure brighten up a cloudy fall day. Hope everyone has a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!
sweet epiphanies 