Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

from Your Cup of Cake

Cheesecake Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Pumpkin Cakes:

½ cup oil

1/3 cup applesauce

1 cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2-1/3 cup flour

1 TBS pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

¾ cup milk

1-¾ cup pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Buttercream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. cinnamon (optional)

milk, if needed

 1.  For Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar until evenly combined.  Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth.  Place in a small container and put in freezer while you make the cake batter.  (If you do this part overnight, put it in the refrigerator.) 

2.  Preheat oven to 350℉ and line pans with 20-24 cupcake liners.  Spray liners.

3.  Mix oil, applesauce, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth.   Add eggs one at a time and mix well (do not over beat and do not beat on high.)

4.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

5.   Add half of the dry ingredients to the oil mixture and mix.  Add milk.

6.  Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix in pumpkin puree.  Fill cupcake liners ¾ full.

7.  Take the filling out of the freezer and place small spoonfuls (between 1 ½ -2 teaspoons) on the top of each unbaked cupcake.  Slightly swirl into the batter.**

8.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until and inserted knife comes out with no orange batter on it.  The cream cheese will leave a little white on the knife, but that is normal. Let cool completely

9.   For Buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter for 3-4 minutes.  Scrape the bowl as necessary.  Slowly add powdered sugar until combined.  Add vanilla extract and cinnamon.  Use milk to thin out the buttercream if needed. 

10. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  Top with cinnamon sugar if desired.

**Next time I will fill half full then put cheesecake filling and top with more batter.