It looks like pumpkin is all the rage this year, or at least this fall season so I thought we would jump on the bandwagon with some scrumptious pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes.  Damn Delicious added a dollop of cheesecake filling and then topped the yummy pumpkin cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting and graham cracker crumbs.  It’s sort of like having the graham cracker crust AND a cupcake.  All the good stuff rolled into one.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
Makes about 9 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
For the Filling
- 4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
- In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
- In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugars, vegetable oil and eggs.
- Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
- Scoop a spoonful of batter evenly into the muffin tray. Drop 2 teaspoons cream cheese filling into the center of each cup. Top with remaining batter to completely cover the filling. Place into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, beating just until incorporated. Increase speed to medium high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Use a small offset spatula or a pastry bag fitted with decorative tip #807 to frost the cupcakes, garnished with graham cracker crumbs, if desired.