Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

These cupcakes were my dessert contribution to Thanksgiving Dinner with my parents and brother and sister-in-law on Wednesday.  They turned out fantastic, and I think part of the reason was that I switched up the frosting and went with a Cinnamon Buttercream instead of what the original recipe called for.  You really can’t go wrong with Cinnamon Buttercream, in my opinion!  These cupcakes will definitely become part of my regular holiday baking!

Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

from Every Day with Rachael Ray

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
• 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 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil.  Love it!)

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  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.

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.

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.

Cinnamon Buttercream

from recipezaar.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place butter in a large bowl.  Beat on low for 30 seconds.  Add sugar about a cup at a time, beating on low between each addition.  Add 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon.  Beat on medium 1 minute.  Blend in up to 1 tablespoon of milk if frosting is too thick.  Ice cupcakes.