Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cheesecake

Pumpkin. Pumpkin. Pumpkin.

There is no point fighting the wave of pumpkin-flavored everything. Rather, it's time to jump on that surfboard and look for ways to keep that wave a little more interesting.

Like adding white chocolate. And cheesecake.

These cupcakes are very reminiscent of the Black Bottom ones from long ago, but pumpkin. All the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cheesecake

Pumpkin cake
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 15-oz can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs

Cheesecake filling
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup white chocolate chips

Cream cheese frosting (optional) (seriously, these don't really need frosting)
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans. You can make either mini cupcakes or regular-sized ones. It's all good. (I prefer mini because then when I eat six of them, it's not the worst thing ever.)

2. Let's make the pumpkin cake stuff, mmkay? Start by tossing the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix it all. Add in the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, butter, and eggs. Mix well. I used a fork, so don't feel like you have to drag out your mixer for this part.

3. Speaking of your mixer, you do need it for this part. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and eggs for the cheesecake filling in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the white chocolate chips.

4. Time to fill those cupcake liners. Fill them about 1/3 of the way with the pumpkin cake, then add a little cheesecake mix, and then top it with pumpkin cake. As for how much of the cheesecake mix, if you're making full-size cupcakes, go with a heaping teaspoon. For mini cupcakes, about 1/4 of a heaping teaspoon.

Do fill your cupcake liner nearly to the top. These don't rise very much.

Also, for what it's worth, it's okay if your ratios of cheesecake to pumpkin cake are off a bit. Mine varies wildly, even within a batch.

5. Once your cupcake liners are 3/4 full (if not even more full), pop them in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes for full-size cupcakes and 15-18 minutes for mini cupcakes. They're done when a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Allow the cupcakes to cool. Wire racks are good.

7. If you're making the frosting, great! Just throw the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Use a mixer to do that thang until it's creamy. Add the vanilla then gradually add the powdered sugar, trying your best not to launch powdered sugar to the ceiling.

Not that I've ever done that. Ahem.

8. This makes about 24 regular-sized cupcakes or about 48 mini cupcakes. Maybe a bit more. You can half the recipe if you want, but then you end up with that random half can of pumpkin to use. I have to admit I think it's better to share the bounty than it is to deal with a half can of pumpkin.