Pumpkin Pie Stuffed Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

This has to be the most perfect Thanksgiving cupcake recipe in the world. It's also the most time consuming one you will ever encounter. I made it for my family's Thanksgiving dinner 2 years ago (before I started my blog) and it took me probably 3 hours to make 24 cupcakes, but I think it was totally worth all of the time and effort. It went over really well with my family - I mean come on, there is a mini pumpkin pie BAKED INSIDE each cupcake, so how can it not??

This amazing recipe was created by the super talented Bake It in a Cake - if you haven't visited her blog yet, you are totally missing out! She just came out with a great book which is a must have if you love creative cupcake recipes like I do!

I wanted to make sure to post this recipe a few days before Thanksgiving so you have time to try it out if you're interested - I promise you will not be disappointed! Sorry I only have one picture, but you can see the little pie inside and the cute cinnamon sugar pie crust decoration on top, so I think you get the gist! :)


Pumpkin Pie Stuffed Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe from Bake It in a Cake
makes 24 cucpakes

For the mini pumpkin pies...

• 1 (16-ounce) batch pie crust dough (I used store-bought, but you can do homemade if you want. you just need enough to make 2 one crust pies)
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling, made as directed on the can

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly grease a 24-cup miniature muffin tin.
2. Use a rolling pin to roll out the pie crust dough on a lightly floured smooth surface (like your kitchen counter) until the dough is about ⅛ inch thick.
3. Using a 2½-inch circular cookie cutter, cut out 24 small disks. Ball up the extra scraps of dough and wrap in plastic wrap for later use.
4. Press the dough circles into each cup in the prepared muffin tin and fill each three-quarters full with the prepared pumpkin pie filling. Keep in mind the pumpkin pie filling will expand a bit while baking.
5. Bake the pies for about 7 minutes. With the pies still in the oven, turn the oven down to 350°F and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes, until the edges of the crust have browned and the pumpkin pie filling no longer jiggles when you gently shake the tin.
6. Allow the pies to cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling while you move on to the next step.

For the cupcakes...

• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1⅓ cups whole milk

1. Line 2 standard muffin tins with 24 paper liners.
2. In the bowl of your standing mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese for about 90 seconds, until smooth.
3. Add the sugar and mix on medium-high until fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing in each egg completely before adding the next.
5. With the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Finally, add the flour, ½ cup at a time, alternately with the milk, ⅓ cup at a time, mixing until each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
7. Continue to mix the batter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
8. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each cup in the prepared tins. Place a cooled pumpkin pie into the center of the batter and press it gently, but make sure you don't press it too hard because you don't want it to hit the bottom of the tin. Cover the pies with another heaping tablespoon of batter so the top and sides of the mini pie are completely covered and the cup is about three-quarters full.
9. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F  until the edges and tops of the cupcakes have turned golden brown and the cake springs back when you gently press your finger into the top of it.
10. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tins for at least 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting...

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
• 1 cup cinnamon chips
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar

1. Melt the cream and cinnamon chips together in a small microwave-safe bowl for about 45 seconds on high.
2. Stir the mixture until all the chips have melted and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the frosting.
3. In the bowl of your standing mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds, until smooth.
4. Whip in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is fluffy.
5. Finally, with the mixer on low, drizzle in the cinnamon chip mixture. (Make sure it has cooled a bit—if it’s too hot, it will melt the frosting.)
6. Pipe frosting onto the tops of cooled cupcakes.

For the cinnamon sugar pie crust decorations...

• leftover pie crust dough
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
2. Roll the leftover pie crust scraps into a big ball. Use a rolling pin to roll out the ball onto a lightly floured smooth surface until it’s about 1/8 inch thick, then cut out quarter-sized circles with a small cookie cutter or frosting tip
3. Place them on a baking sheet, sprinkle them with a little bit of the cinnamon and sugar mixture, and bake for about 10 minutes at 350°F, until they’re golden brown
4. Once they’re cool, put one on top of each of the cupcakes and serve.

That's it! Phew! What do you think - will you be trying these cupcakes out for Thanksgiving?