Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes



Looking to impress friends this fall?  How about family?  Or co-workers?  Or a hungry Spatular?  Well, we promise that this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes will do the trick!  This is the second part of our One Recipe, Two Ways Special, so check out yesterday's recipe for Amish Pumpkin Bread for another alternative. 

So far we've served these to friends, roommates and co-workers, and received nothing but rave reviews and begs for the recipe!  Nobody could believe how easy they were to make and that the frosting is baked right in!  Make these to serve at your next fall bonfire, for an after work (or school) snack, or even for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. Oh yeah, you can even pass these babies off as muffins and serve them with coffee before noon!

INGREDIENTS:

3 c sugar

1 c vegetable or canola oil

4 eggs, beaten

28 oz can of pumpkin puree (the big one), not the pumpkin pie mix

3 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2/3 c water

2 blocks (8 oz each) of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place 3 dozen paper liners in muffin tins.  If 36 cupcakes is too many, just halve the recipe!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar, oil and eggs.  Add the pumpkin and beat just until combined.  In a seperate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  With your mixer on a low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients.  Once they are incorporated, add the water and continue to mix until batter is smooth.

Divide batter equally between tins.

Back in your stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for a couple of minutes until it begins to look fluffy.  Add eggs and sugar and beat until well combined.  Gently plop the cheesecake mixture into each tin of batter.  If you want the cheesecake to be more of a frosting, pop them right into the oven.  If you would like the cheesecake to serve more as a filling, gently pour some additional pumpkin batter over the cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle cupcakes with a little bit of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon if you like.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.  Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before removing cupcakes from tins.

Now go out and bring these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes to the world!  It is the season of giving after all!

XOXO,
Tall and Small