Test Kitchen Thursday - Pumpkin Cupcakes

Finally back on track with Test Kitchen Thursdays!

Once it starts to feel like fall there's nothing like baking with pumpkin (for me anyway).  Once again I was suckered into purchasing the newest Taste of Home Fall Baking Magazine at the check out stand.  My husband said he has no problem with this as long as I actually bake some of the yummy looking recipes. (my mom on the other hand is a complete enabler - but I love the Christmas magazine you gave me :) - thank mom!)  So, this works perfectly with trying out new recipes to blog about (and potentially find something good for the 2012 Iowa State Fair).

These cupcakes remind me a lot of my absolute favorite cupcakes growing up - those chocolate ones with the cream cheese filling and chocolate chips.  Wow - mom made the best ones.  Same principal just pumpkin cake with cream cheese filling.  I did experiment with the recipe and added those little caramel bits to a few cupcakes - so worth the experiment.

Without further ado - the recipe:

Yield: 2 dozen

Cake Batter:
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I used my vietnamese cinnamon - yum)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 Cup sugar
1 egg
Caramel chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs until well blended.  In small bowl, combine rest of the batter ingredients - whisk together.

For filling, in another small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add egg; beat on low just until combined.



Batter and Filling



Fill paper-lined muffin cups 1/3 full.  Drop filling by tablespoonfuls into center of each cupcake.

Sprinkle with a few caramel chips at this point if desired. 

 Cover with remaining batter.



For some reason I had loads of batter left so put the rest in my two pumpkin ramekins.  My cupcakes did sink after cooling so I probably should have added more batter; I didn't add the rest of the batter because my cups were over 2/3 full and I didn't want them spreading all over the place - but this batter doesn't seem to do that.



Bake at 350 degree F for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack before removing from pans to racks to cool completely.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Grant and Clark both loved the cupcakes!  Although Grant ate completely around the cheesecake center on the first one he ate.  I told him it would be better once it was cool - after all you can't leave the best part!