Incredible Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Muffins
Degree of difficulty: easy
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes
Makes 10 muffins
- 1.5 cups/225g/8ozs cake flour*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup/220g/8ozs brown sugar
- 1.5 cups pumpkin puree
- 2/3 cup/150ml/5floz flavourless oil
- 125g/4ozs cream cheese
- 1/2 cup/75g/2.7ozs icing or powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup pepitas
*To make cake flour, place 3 tablespoons cornflour/cornstarch into a measuring jug and top up to 1.5 cup level with plain all purpose flour.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F fan forced. Line a cupcake tray with 10 liners. Process the cream cheese, icing sugar and cinnamon until smooth and place in a piping bag. Place in fridge.
Step 2 - In a large bowl whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, bicarb, cloves and brown sugar to get rid of any lumps. In a jug whisk the pumpkin and oil together until smooth. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the pumpkin mix. Stir until mixed together. The batter will seem thick but will come together. Spoon into the papers using two tablespoons.
Step 3 - Snip off the end and pipe some of the cream cheese downwards into the centre of the muffin. Repeat until you've used up all the cream cheese (go back and fill them more if you have left over). Sprinkle pepitas on the outside and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.