Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

When my daughter is home, I bake more.  There is someone to bake with and someone to eat our goodies with.  She was home from College for a short fall break.  I had an idea that I wanted to stuff cupcakes with a cream cheese pumpkin filling.  I asked her what she thought we should use for frosting.  Her answer?  Chocolate.  What else?  These Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling are a definite make again recipe.

 

Chocolate marries very well with the pumpkin.  The pumpkin is light in this recipe, not overpowering.  The cool thing about this recipe is the the filling is more like a molten cake.  Fun!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 egg
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla

Frosting

• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 cup light cream

Filling:

• 4 oz of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup light cream

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing fully.

Combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, 1/3 at a time.  Mix until full incorporated.  Pour into a cupcake pan filled with liners.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18 – 20 minutes.  Use a toothpick and prick the cupcake and make sure it comes out clean.  If not, keep cooking a couple of minutes at a time until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Once cool, take a corer and take out the center of the cupcakes.

In a mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, pumpkin puree and cream.  Fill a pastry bag with the filling and pipe into the cored cupcakes.

 

For the frosting, put the cream and chocolate in a sauce pot.

Heat together until just melted.  Put in to the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.  Take out of the fridge and beat with an electric mixer.  It will get fluffy but not light.  Finish the cupcakes by topping with the frosting.

You can either pipe it on top or simply spread it.  Enjoy!