Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

So much dark chocolate and pumpkin lately! I can’t help it. Such a good combo. I say that about pretty much everything, but it really is. And these are so cute and festive! Perfect for Halloween or fall or whatever you feel like celebrating! Make these today and celebrate it being Tuesday because why not? They are filled with the most delicious pumpkin cheesecake filling and topped with a fresh pumpkin cream cheese marshmallow buttercream. Too good.

They do require several steps, but they aren’t too high maintenance. It’s totally worth it anyway.

I was super happy with this batter and it turned out super moist from the buttermilk and Greek yogurt. I LOVE baking with Greek yogurt for that reason.


It was really difficult not to eat alll of this filling with a spoon. You’ll see.

My technique for filling cupcakes is to cut out a little cone shaped chunk out of the center with a paring knife, and pipe in the filling. I find it to be the easiest, least messy way.

I also topped them with shaved dark chocolate. My fav.

Makes about 14 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. espresso powder
1 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt (I used 0%)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
dark chocolate bar for shaving

For the filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temp.
1/4 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
1/3 c. + 2 T. powdered sugar

For the buttercream:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c. marshmallow fluff
1/4 c. canned pumpkin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar. Whisk in the Greek yogurt, vanilla, buttermilk, and butter until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined. Pour batter into tins and fill them 3/4 the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until tops are no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before filling them. I keep them in the tins for 10-15 minutes and then cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack.

While they are baking, I make the filling and keep it in the fridge until they are cooled. To make the filling, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes until combined. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Once cooled, to fill the cupcakes, put filling in a pastry bag. Cut little holes out of the tops of cupcakes, using a small paring knife, going about halfway down the cupcake. The “circle” should be about the diameter of a quarter or a little larger, and the “plugs” should look like little cones that you can put back on top once they are filled. Pipe the filling into the holes, and put cupcake plugs back on cupcakes.

For the buttercream, combine unsalted butter, cream cheese, marshmallow fluff, pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat for another 3-4 minutes on med/high speed until fluffy. You may want to double this if you like a lot of frosting. I personally am not a huge frosting person. I definitely love it, but I love the cake part more.

Finally, pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes and garnish with shaved dark chocolate. I shave mine off of a bar with a vegetable peeler. These are best stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese. They will keep for a few days in the fridge, but the day they are made is preferred!

You gotta make these for Halloween!