Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes with Molasses Buttercream

Moist pumpkin cake, creamy cheesecake filling and fluffly, spicy molasses buttercream.
It was amazing, I only got a half of one, and I need more.

The bartering system is alive and well.
I actually traded cupcakes for New York steaks yesterday... oh yeah, I was happy.
I think I made the better deal, but as we made our "exchange", we shared one cupcake to ensure the quality of my goods was top notch.
It didn't matter that it was 10am... what, you can't eat cake that early? 
We pretended they were muffins, problem solved!

For some reason this recipe seemed to make only 12 cupcakes instead of my usual 18. It may be that I got too generous with the batter. You may have a bit too much leftover cheesecake filling after filling your cupcakes, I could't really reduce the recipe, because 1/2 an egg in a recipe just isn't done!.  You could use the extra filling on some graham crackers, in muffin paper liners and bake them while you are baking your cupcakes... now would that be a good leftover!?!

P.S. The decorations on top of the cupcakes is candied ginger from Trader Joe's.  It is my favorite thing, but might be too spicy for kids. 

(I only photographed the pumpkin cupcake ingredients...

Missing is cream cheese, one egg, powdered sugar, butter, molasses & cream)

Cheesecake filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Mix filling together thoroughly with a mixer. Set aside.

Pumpkin Cupcakes
(NOTE: There are NO eggs in this recipe, there is no mistake!)
Makes about 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon vinegar, white or Apple Cider

Preheat oven at 350.
Mix together all dry ingredients, then the liquid including the pumpkin, oil and extract, then add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until uniformly moistened.  Line your muffin tin with papers and fill each one about 1/2-2/3 full.  

Bake for about 8 minutes, then fill with cheesecake filling (above).  Using a pastry bag with a large tip, or even no tip, squeeze about 1 tablespoon into each partially baked cupcakes.

Return to the oven and back another 14-15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Molasses Buttercream
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp cream
3 cups powdered sugar

In a standmixer, or whip a hand mixer, beat butter, pumpkin pie spice and molasses together. Add one cup of powdered sugar, beat well. Add the additional 2 cups of powdered sugar slowly, using a tablespoon of whip cream to moisten the buttercream.  Beat for about 5 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffly.

Here's what the cupcake looked like shortly before we shared it. 



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