ugly cupcakes? i think not...

i have heard it said that muffins are just "ugly cupcakes,"
but i wholeheartedly disagree.
as much as i love cupcakes, i love muffins too.
{in fact, i think i just love baking regardless of what i'm making.}

for those of you who agree with the "ugly cupcake" hypothesis,

those of you whose favorite part of a cupcake is the icing,
these muffins are just for you:

pumpkin spice muffins with built-in cream cheese icing
soooooo delicious :)

image credit

the how-to:
spice cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding (3 oz)
1 cup canned pumpkin
one 8 oz package of cream cheese (softened)
one egg
1/4 cup sugar

make cake mix as directed on box,
add pudding powder and pumpkin.
spoon into paper-lined muffin cups.

beat cream cheese until creamy,
then add sugar and egg, and beat until creamy.

spoon a small amount of cream cheese mixture onto
batter-filled muffin cups and swirl gently.

bake for 18-21 minutes at 350


my mom made these for us a few weeks ago,
and they pair perfectly with a big mug of hot chocolate
or strong coffee early in the morning.
i do believe that a batch of these little guys
is on the agenda for the weekend.

if you decide to make them, let me know what you think!
xoxo


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