Cheesecake-filled Pumpkin Cupcakes.. A fall favorite!

These are my favorite cupcakes thus far and I am not even a big fan of cheesecake! The melding of cupcake and cheesecake is perfect. The cupcakes came out super moist with a beautiful orange color and are super easy to make. I used the mixer only for the cheesecake and whisked the pumpkin cupcake with a hand whisk. This recipe does not require butter.

Try this recipe with Brown Sugar Meringue Frosting (here)!

Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
   

2. 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. Whisk in the flour mixture.
   

3. Layer each muffin cup with some of the pumpkin batter, then the cream cheese mixture, then more of the batter. Bake until springy to the touch, 25 minutes. Let cool.

Let cream cheese cool to room temperature (the fastest way to do this is slice into pieces)

Mix cream cheese and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Beat in 1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil and 1 tsp vanilla

Whisk in flour mixture (2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 cups flour)

Fill cupcake liners with pumpkin batter 1/2 full then layer cream cheese then more pumpkin batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until springy.

Frosted with Brown Sugar Meringue Frosting! It was delicious and the perfect compliment to the cupcakes! The Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes are also wonderful without any frosting.

Side Note: I used the EZ Cracker Egg Cracker to break the eggs and to also separate the whites from the yolks. I thought this thing was a gimmick but it is awesome! It cracks open eggs perfectly!