Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

  Picture this: the creamy texture of the mini pumpkin pie against the moist crumb of cake.    I was thinking of making a pumpkin pie filled pumpkin muffin, which sounded great, but I was not feeling super inspired.  Then I thought about gingerbread and then the wheels really got turning.  Pumpkin pie, gingerbread and cinnamon cream cheese icing, now that will work! These cupcakes were delicious!   Lick your fingers and the cupcake liner/paper good.  (Well, my 8 year old daughter was licking hers until I gently and lovingly told her to stop.) 

A few words of caution; (OOO! sounds so scary!) This is a very gingery/molasses tasting cupcake, which I love, but may not be for you if you are not a big gingerbread fan. Also, these require a bit of prior planning because you have to cook the pumpkin pie before hand, but I enjoyed making them with my kids helping me along the way.  Maybe it was because I couldn't wait to taste them.   The pumpkin pie sinks while baking, which I didn't mind at all.  I topped them with some gingerbread men sprinkles so there would be no mistake that they are gingerbread and not chocolate. 

 

 

GINGERBREAD PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE ICING 

adapted from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup hot milk

For the Pumpkin Pies:

I just made a pumpkin pie and used up some filling by placing into mini-muffin tins.

For the Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Spray a 12 spaces in a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and fill 12 about 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

this is just before spooning more batter to cover.

Butter or line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin. Cream 5 tablespoons of softened butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk and mix. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins filling about halfway. Carefully run knife along outside edge of the pumpkin pies.  Carefully spoon out and place in the center of each cupcake.  Spoon some batter into each to cover pumpkin pies. You may have some batter left.  You can discard or make a 1-2 more cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 17-20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch.  Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and carefully remove to a rack to cool.  

For the Frosting: Cream the 2 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops with the frosting and serve.