Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients:

Cream cheese filling

• 220 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 large egg

Streusel

• 0.5 cups tightly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• A pinch of coarse salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 0.5 cups premium flour

Pumpkin dough

• 1.5 cups premium flour
• 0.5 tsp of soda
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree without additives
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups.
   
   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods.
2. Cream cheese filling:
   
   In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and sour cream with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and continue beating until fully incorporated, about 1 more minute. Transfer to a zip-lock bag or small pastry bag and let sit at room temperature.
3. Streusel:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle with melted butter and mix with a fork. Add flour and mix with a fork until pea-sized clumps form. Don't overmix, or the streusel will turn into a paste. Set aside and keep at room temperature.
4. Pumpkin dough:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder until evenly distributed. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and egg until smooth, then add the flour mixture and knead until smooth.
5. Evenly divide the pumpkin batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Snip the corner of a pastry bag, then insert the tip into the center of each cup three-quarters full and pipe about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling. The batter should rise almost to the top. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter, pressing it in gently.
6. Bake until the muffins are puffed and golden brown and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean (do not insert into the filling), about 30 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.