Pumpkin Surprise Cupcakes

Filling Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup chocolate chips

½ cup toasted pecans

Cake Ingredients

1 cup AP flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup avocado, canola, or vegetable oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling Directions

With a hand mixer, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt until smooth.  Then mix in chocolate chips and pecans and set aside.

Cake Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices and whisk together.  In another bowl combine remaining ingredients and whisk together until fully combined.

Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until well combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins filling each ½ full. 

Add a tablespoon of cream cheese filling to the top of each cupcake.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cream cheese is set and the cake is baked through.

makes 16 cupcakes