Spiced Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Swirl

These muffins are mixed with a standard muffin method: whisk the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients, fold together briefly, then top each portion with a small cream cheese swirl before baking. The swirl stays visible on the surface and bakes into a soft, tangy layer against the spiced crumb.

By Julienne

Cook time: 22 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 240 g all-purpose flour sifted
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar packed
• 8 g baking powder
• 4 g baking soda
• 3 g fine salt
• 4 g ground cinnamon
• 2 g ground ginger
• 1 g ground nutmeg
• 0.5 g ground cloves
• 300 g pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 80 ml neutral oil
• 2 count large eggs room temperature
• 10 ml vanilla extract
• 60 ml milk
• 120 g cream cheese softened
• 30 g powdered sugar sifted
• 15 g sour cream
• 15 ml water for loosening the cream cheese swirl if needed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly coat it with nonstick spray. The oven is fully preheated and the muffin tin is ready.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly combined. The dry mixture is uniform and the spices are evenly distributed.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, neutral oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk until smooth and glossy. The wet mixture is fully blended with no visible streaks of egg.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Stop as soon as the batter looks evenly moistened; a few small lumps are fine. The batter is thick, evenly moistened, and only lightly textured.
5. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and sour cream until smooth. If needed, loosen with the water a few drops at a time so the mixture is spoonable and easy to swirl. The cream cheese mixture is smooth and holds soft peaks or ribbons.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture onto each portion, then drag a skewer through the top once or twice to marble the surface. Each muffin cup shows a visible cream cheese swirl on top.
7. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the pan once near the end if needed for even browning. The muffins are done when the tops spring back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the muffin crumb comes out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The muffins are domed, set in the center, and no raw batter remains.
8. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool until warm or room temperature before serving. The muffins release cleanly and hold their shape on the rack.