Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 (15 ounce) can cooked pumpkin
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• Sunflower seeds, as garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Stir the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, ginger, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Beat the brown sugar and the eggs together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add all the vegetable oil and the pumpkin; continue beating until integrated. Pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Fill the prepared muffin cups about half-full with the batter. Spoon about 1 teaspoon cream cheese into the center of each muffin cup and poke it down into the middle of the batter with a finger. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds over each muffin.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes and remove to a rack to cool completely. Be extra careful; the cream cheese stays hot for a while!