Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

If you couldn't really tell, I'm in a pumpkin mood. I used to be pretty anti-pumpkin (I still kind of am), but added with cake mixes, now I'm warming up to it. And I've got 2 more pumpkin cupcake recipes to make, so hopefully I'll be fully converted. We'll just have to see!

These cupcakes took 2 tries to get right. The 1st was for a friend's Halloween party; everyone liked them, but my mother (whose judgment I trust, along with my husband) said she couldn't taste the cheesecake filling. So it was back to the drawing board. When I made it the 2nd time around, they turned out much better, & the flavors were much more present. So now with the recipe perfected, it's ready for you to try! :)

Ghost army!

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

White Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup powder sugar
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. caramel extract (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Cinnamon Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Cool Whip
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups powder sugar

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat oil, egg whites, sour cream and vanilla extract for 2 minutes. Add flour mixture on low speed, alternating with milk. Mix until just combined. Fill liners 1/2 full; set aside.
Filling:
In a medium bowl, or stand mixer bowl, beat all ingredients except chips until combined and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of filling to each cupcake. Bake for 18-22 minutes; cool completely on wire racks.
Buttercream:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, Cool Whip and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and mix until combined. Add powder sugar on low speed, 1 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Pipe onto cupcakes and enjoy!
**Ghost option: right after piping your cupcake, stick 2 mini chocolate chips and 1 regular-sized chocolate chip into place. Now you have a funny ghost to show off! (Note: I am not clever enough to come up with this on my own...thank you, Pinterest!)