Cream Cheese Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

I used the Carrot Orange and Spice Cake recipe as the basis for these Pumpkin Cheese Cake muffins.

Ingredients

11-12 muffin cups

100g unsalted butter
110g light brown muscovado sugar
2 large free-range eggs
¼ tsp orange extract

180g all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

160g pumpkin puree
50 ml juice from an orange
optional 80g walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Mixture
4oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (or to taste)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/360F/Gas 4. Line the muffin tins.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
Make the cream cheese mixture by whipping together the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Set aside until the muffin batter is ready.

For the Muffin Batter:
Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the sugar, eggs and orange oil until smooth and well combined.

Add the zest of one orange to the pumpkin puree. If using nuts, add them here.

Sift the flour, baking soda and ground spices into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the salt and baking powder.

Fold the butter mixture into the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the pumpkin mixture.

Scoop the mixture into the muffin tins. Fill each cup ¾ full. Place about ½-1 Tbsp of the cream cheese mixture in the top center of the muffin batter.

Bake for 18-22 minutes

Leave to cool in the pans for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Don't let them fully cool in the tins or the bottom of the muffins might be soggy.

Savory Pumpkin Carrot and Orange Spice Cake

This is a savory variation of Carrot, Orange, and Spice Cake that I came up with when I had some leftover pumpkin puree. This recipe makes enough batter for two - 9 inch round cake pans.

Ingredients

• 1 - 15 oz/425g can of pumpkin puree
• 100 g walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 100 g  grated carrots
• 1 orange, zest and juice only (about 75ml juice)
• 20 g molasses 
• 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier
• 1 tsp orange extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 340 g all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g unsalted butter
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 20 g brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/360F/Gas 4. Line the base of two round 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Grate the carrots, zest and juice one orange and add the juice and zest of one orange. 

Combine the can of pumpkin puree, nuts, grated carrots, zest and juice of the orange, molasses, Grand Marnier, orange extract, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. 

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl.

Melt the butter in a saucepan then whisk in the sugar, and eggs until smooth and well combined.

Add the butter mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined.

Add the flour mixture in and stir until the flour is well mixed in.

Pour the combined mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50 - 70 minutes, or until a skewer or knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle (check after 40 minutes and cover the top of the cake if the cake is browning too fast).

Leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before eating. This is a pretty moist cake so it is important to cool it completely as it on a wire rack to let it finish cooking as it cools.

Savory Pumpkin, Carrot, Orange, Spice Cake

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients (makes 1 9-inch pie)

• ½ cup brown sugar 
• ½ t. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ tsp. cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 Tbsp. molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cans (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 cans (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shells

Instructions

Blind bake the pie shells at 350° F for 15-20 minutes until dough goes from translucent to opaque but before it browns. Protect the rim of the crust during the blind bake. Set aside to cool while mixing the filling.

Mix the dry ingredients: sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl together until well combined. 

Beat the eggs in a mixer.

Add pumpkin, molasses, and sugar/spice mixture to the eggs and mix until well combined

Slowly add the evaporated milk until the mix is a uniform color.

Fill the crusts to the brim. Protect the edge of the crusts. Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350° F and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes. Take the crust protector off near the end of the bake.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours, then serve immediately or refrigerate.