Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ever since the I got back from vacation a week ago I can’t stop thinking about pumpkin. Maybe it’s the cooler weather or the leaves changing red, yellow and orange. It could also be the fact that Starbucks is now serving their delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte that has made me obsessed with making anything and everything pumpkin.

Since I have featured 2 of my absolute favourite pumpkin recipes with you already – Pumpkin Scones and Claudia’s Pumpkin Pie – I had to find a new recipe that me and Claudia enjoyed enough to share. Enter Silvana Nardone from Every Day with Rachel Ray and her Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes. Because there is cream cheese baked inside, these are probably one of the richest cupcakes I’ve ever tasted. And they are absolutely, positively delicious! If you want a substitute for pumpkin pie or pumpkin cheesecake this Thanksgiving, these babies are by far your best bet. Your family and friends will love you for it.

You will need:

1- 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 large eggs, plus 5 large egg whites (I buy egg whites in the carton)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1.5 cups flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1.5 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
Simmering water
1.5 cups unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and chilled

First, let’s assemble all the layers to these cupcakes:

In a bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, granulated sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Should look like so…

Whisk in the flour mixture.

Should look like so….a little thicker than without the flour mixture.

In yet another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar for 3 minutes.

Delicious!

Using the electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, remaining 4 egg whites and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.