My story in recipes: Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

Is it wrong that I can't fit all of my pumpkin recipes into 3 months worth of blog posts? Here it is early December and I still have pumpkin recipes left to blog. I cannot promise that this will be the last one of the season but I fully intend to move onto more holiday recipes and less Fall inspired baking ideas for the remainder of the year.

I must admit that it's hard for me to leave the pumpkin behind and if it weren't for the fact that I was so excited about baking gingerbread and making eggnog cupcakes and peppermint snowflakes, I'm not sure that I would be able to break out of my pumpkin baking addiction. (In case you were wondering, I am the president of the PLA - pumpkin lovers anonymous.)

So it is with some sadness that I leave you with one last pumpkin recipe for 2014. (Maybe) This one is a doosey too. A spiced pumpkin cheesecake stuffed cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream and graham cracker crumbs. Delicious.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs

For the filling

4 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the vanilla buttercream frosting

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, sugars, vegetable oil and eggs.

Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.

Scoop a spoonful of batter evenly into the muffin tray.

Drop 2 teaspoons cream cheese filling into the center of each cup.

Top with remaining batter to completely cover the filling.

Place into oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.