Is there a better way to start the comeback than with one of my absolute favorite recipes?? I think not!
I first saw this recipe in a Rachael Ray Magazine in November of 2009 (which, coincidentally, is when I wrote my last blog post!) Once I saw it, I just couldn't get it out of my mind. I mean, can you blame me??
Since I first made them, I've made these babies multiple times for multiple functions and have had them requested more than any other baked good. So I strongly suggest you take down this super simple recipe and share the love!
(The frosting Rachael included with the recipe got mixed reviews from other bakers, so I scrapped it and used cream cheese frosting, instead!)
Pumpkin-Cheesecake Cupcakes
(adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, November 2009)
makes 24
Ingredients:
2 8oz. Bricks of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. Confectioners' sugar
2 Egg whites
3 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 c. Flour
4 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice
3 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 c. Canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
4 eggs (can be substituted with 2 c. Unsweetened applesauce)
2 c. Granulated sugar
1 c. Vegetable oil (can be substituted with 1 c. Unsweetened applesauce, unless eggs have been substituted)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. (bonus points if you can find some with pumpkins on them!)
2. Use an hand-held or stand electric mixer to cream together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Rachael says it takes 3 minutes, so I usually take her word for it and leave it on while I'm prepping the other ingredients. (The joys of a stand mixer!)
3. Beat in egg whites and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Set aside.
4. In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until ingredients are well-dispersed.
5. In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, whole eggs, sugar, oil, and the other 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Mix together until blended. (It'll taste better than it currently looks, I promise!)
6. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mix, until both are completely blended, but do not over-mix.
7. Using a small ladle or ice cream scoop, layer the cupcake liners with 1/3 pumpkin mixture, 1/3 cream cheese mixture, and finish with another 1/3 pumpkin mixture.
8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, and check for doneness (totally a word) by sticking a toothpick in the center of one of the middle cupcakes. If it comes out without anything on it, they're done!
Now, as I mentioned, I don't use Rach's frosting. I have quite an affinity for all things cream cheese, so obviously cream cheese made it on top of these cupcakes! Besides, cream cheese frosting is one of the easiest frosting's to make, and hardest to mess up -- double score!
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
1 8oz. Brick of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. Butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
4-6 c. Confectioners' sugar (depends on taste preference)
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
Directions
1. Beat together the butter and cream cheese. Lower the mixer speed to the lowest possible speed, and begin adding the confectioners' sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, to taste. When it's your preferred flavor, add the vanilla and mix on high for 30 seconds.
And voila! Delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes!
Next up: Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes!
