The holiday season is all about indulging in delightful treats, and these pumpkin pie cupcakes with cream cheese filling are the perfect addition to your festive dessert table. These moist and flavorful cupcakes are infused with pumpkin pie spice and topped with a creamy cream cheese filling, making them a delightful holiday treat. Let's get started on this scrumptious recipe!
Ingredients:*
For the Cupcakes:
- Cooking spray
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Pie Crust Cutouts:
- Half a rolled pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons milk, for brushing
- Granulated sugar, for sprinkling
For the Filling/Topping:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
Directions:
For the Cupcakes:
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and coat both the liners and the top of the tin with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and gently fold until just incorporated. Don't overmix; it's okay if there are some lumps.
- Bake until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when pressed, usually between 24 to 28 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. You can make these cupcakes up to 2 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
For the Pie Crust Cutouts:
- While the cupcakes are cooling, use your favorite small holiday cookie cutter to cut out 12 shapes from the pie crust. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Brush each pie crust cutout with milk and generously sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake until the cutouts are deep golden brown, which usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Remember to rotate the baking sheet halfway through. Let the cutouts cool completely.
For the Filling/Topping:
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of the heavy cream and beat until soft peaks form. Then, add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a round pastry tip.
To Fill and Top the Cupcakes:
- Use a teaspoon or a melon baller to scoop out a small piece from the top center of each cupcake, saving these cupcake pieces.
- Squeeze some of the filling/topping into each hole and top with one of the cupcake pieces.
- Pipe a swirl of the filling/topping on top of each cupcake. If you prefer them chilled, you can refrigerate the cupcakes for up to 2 hours at this point.
- Gently push a pie crust cutout into the frosting of each cupcake and serve.
This is a fun take on the classic pumpkin pie. Enjoy these cupcakes as a delightful and festive treat during the holiday season. They're sure to impress your family and friends at any holiday gathering!
If you missed any of our past posts, you can read them here, and don’t forget to look out for next week's blog post; 5 Reasons to Host Your Holiday Party at Your Private Bar.
Thanks for reading, we appreciate you!! Cheers!
*Recipe from Food Network Kitchen*