• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hungry Happenings

  • ABOUT
    • About/Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Featured On
  • EXPLORE
    • Hungry Happenings Blog Posts
    • Travel
    • Readers’ Gallery
    • Hungry Halloween
      • Crafts and Decor
      • Halloween Party Games
      • Templates – Printable Templates for Halloween Crafts and Recipes
    • Roundups
  • MY BOOK: CANDY CLAY CREATIONS
  • HOME
  • RECIPES
    • ALL 1000+ Recipes (loads slowly)
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Decorated Cookies
    • Decorated Cakes
    • Cheesecake Recipes
    • Everyday Desserts
    • Homemade Candy
    • Everyday Meals
  • HOW TO
    • Chocolate Making Tips
    • Make Modeling Chocolate
      • Modeling Chocolate Recipe and Tutorial
      • How to Color Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Store and Work with Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Fix Greasy Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Fix Dry Modeling Chocolate
      • Use Colored Candy Melts to Make Candy Clay
    • Candy Clay Creations
    • How To Color White Chocolate and Candy Melts and Paint Candy Molds
    • How to Use Food Coloring Markers
  • HOLIDAYS
    • ALL HOLIDAY RECIPES
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
    • MORE HOLIDAYS
      • Mother’s Day
      • Father’s Day
      • April Fools
      • Chinese New Year
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Day of the Dead
      • Earth Day
      • Hanukkah
      • Mardi Gras
  • PARTY FOOD
    • Super Bowl
    • Graduation
    • Birthday Party
    • March Madness
    • Summer Fun
    • Baby Shower
    • Wedding Shower
    • School/Teacher
    • Movie and T.V. Characters
    • Kid’s Treats
    • Fun Party Recipes
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes

September 19, 2013 By This post may contain affiliate links.

These Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes are one of my favorite Halloween recipes. The decadently rich chocolate cupcakes are topped with chocolate ganache frosting and have a pumpkin shaped cheesecake hiding inside.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

In my last post, I promised you I’d share a surprising way to use the Mini Cheesecake Pumpkins that I made using silicone molds. Did you have any idea I would stuff these creamy little bites of Halloween goodness into a cupcake? I just know you are going to love these Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes.

What’s not to love?

Each cupcake is rich and chocolatey and has a cheesecake pumpkin inside.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

As soon as I popped the tiny cheesecakes out of the pumpkin molds, their size and shape made me think of all the Halloween reveal cupcakes I’ve seen on Pinterest lately. You know the ones where you cut open the cupcake to find a ghost, bat, or a pumpkin hiding inside.

All of those Halloween cupcakes are created by making a cake, cutting it into slices, then cutting it into the shape of a ghost, bat, or pumpkin. Then those shapes are arranged in a cupcake tin and cake batter is poured around the them. Once baked, the shape inside remains intact and surprising also remains moist and tender.

I wondered if my small pumpkin shaped cheesecakes would fare as well. To my delight they did.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

After waiting for my cupcakes to bake and cool, I finally got to cut into one, and I got a little giddy when I saw that the pumpkin still looked like a pumpkin. The texture of the cheesecake was still creamy and smooth. At that point I was so happy that I decided to go all out and use Cooks Illustrated’s Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake recipe, because something so pretty surely needed to taste just as wonderful.

The recipe calls for stuffing chocolate ganache inside the most amazingly chocolatey cupcake, but I wanted to put a cheesecake inside instead, so I decided to put the ganache on top in a big heaping swirl. This is a seriously decadent cupcake.

If you don’t like incredibly rich desserts, walk away now, forgetting what you’ve seen here. But, if you are like me and you can’t get enough of  rich, creamy, chocolatey, desserts, then go into your kitchen and give these a try. You’ll definitely thank me for it.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes(makes 11)

Ingredients:

22 Mini Cheesecake Pumpkins (recipe, here)

Cupcakes: recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ounce (1/3 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa
3/4 cup hot coffee*
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (4 1/8 ounce) bread flour**
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

*These cupcakes will not taste like coffee, I promise. If they did, I wouldn’t like them. It just intensifies the chocolate flavor.

**Definitely use bread flour. If you use all purpose flour, the cupcakes won’t hold together as well. You need the extra gluten in the bread flour to keep the structure of the cupcake.

ganache frosting and decorations:
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
optional: Halloween sprinkles or candy

Supplies:

whisk
22 Halloween cupcake wrappers 
cupcake pan
2 large pastry bags
optional: food processor
hand mixer
large star pastry tip

Note: if you bake the cupcakes in two liners instead of one, the inside liner will protect the outer liner from getting dark so you’ll actually be able to see the design. Plus the outside liner will have conformed to the shape of the cupcake. It looks great.

Instructions:

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Make Mini Cheesecake Pumpkins (click here for recipe) and keep them frozen until needed. When you paint in the green filling, be sure to fill the entire stem area, so that when you cut into the cupcakes you have a nice pumpkin shape.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Make cupcake batter. Pour finely chopped chocolate and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl. Add hot coffee and stir until chocolate melts. Place in the refrigerator to cool for about 20 minutes.

Once cooled, whisk in oil, eggs, white vinegar, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add it to the chocolate bowl and whisk until smooth.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Pour a thin layer of batter into each of the cupcake liners.

Remove the Mini Cheesecake Pumpkins from the freezer. Un-mold them, and stick 2 cheesecakes together (put their backsides together) then place them in the center of each cupcake liner.

NOTE: It is very important that you know which way your cheesecake pumpkins are facing. Later when you cut into a cupcake to reveal the pumpkin, you want to cut across the front not the side.

Fill the cupcake liners up over the cheesecake pumpkins. I felt it was easiest to put my batter in a large disposable pastry bag and pipe it into the cups. Once all the cups are filled allow them to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. While you are waiting, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes until they are set around the edges and puffed in the middle. As the cupcakes cool, they will sink a bit in the center. Allow them to cool completely.Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache frosting.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Place chopped chocolate in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chocolate is fine crumbs.

Heat heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir often until it just comes to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, put lid on the food processor bowl, and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Pulse for 3 seconds. Remove lid and scrape down the sides and bottom of the food processor bowl. Return lid and pulse for 5 more seconds or until the mixture, which is called ganache, is smooth. Dont’ over-mix your ganache or it will turn grainy as it sets up.

Note: A food processor makes easy work of creating a chocolate ganache. If you don’t have one, finely chop your chocolate and put it in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Boil cream as above and pour over chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Use a whisk to create an emulsion.

Begin by stirring just in the center of the bowl, then slowly bring the whisk out to the edge of the bowl. Stir just until combined and the ganache is smooth. If you have chunks of chocolate remaining, place entire bowl in microwave and heat on high for 10 seconds. Stir until melted.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Pour ganache into a mixing bowl and chill in the refirgerator for 15 minutes, then remove and stir. Refrigerate for 15 more minutes. Then use an electric mixer to beat the ganache until it’s lighter in color (left photo.) The frosting will not hold stiff peaks at this point, it should fall off the beaters. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, but no more. Beat for 5 more seconds and it should now hold stiff peaks (right photo.)

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Immediately spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe big swirls over cooled cupcakes. This frosting is rather stiff and will actually harden slightly much like a chocolate truffle. You can easily bite into it and it has an intense chocolate flavor, but it is not soft like a butter cream style frosting.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

Decorate with Halloween sprinkles or candy, if desired. I found it helpful to just sprinkle the front side of each cupcake. That way when I went to cut into them, I knew which direction the pumpkin would be facing.Keep cupcakes stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving so that the ganache frosting and the cheesecake are smooth and creamy and will melt in your mouth.

You absolutely have to make these fan favorite Ultimate Cheesecake Stuffed Halloween Cupcakes for your spooky party! These delicious treats will have everyone wondering how you got such an adorable surprise inside!

When you cut into them, use a sharp knife to cut across the front of the cupcake about 1/4th of the way into the cupcake for the best results.

These pumpkin stuffed cupcakes would also make a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert. Just decorated them with fall colored sprinkles or candies instead.

Be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.

Items used to create this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)

A few more Halloween recipes from Hungry Happenings.

Chocolate Caramel Pumpkins

Chocolate Caramel Apple Cauldrons

Cappello di Strega – Witch Hat Cheese-ball

Black Cat Caramel Apples

Witch Quesadilla

See all the Halloween Recipes, here. 

SaveSave

Thanks for sharing!

Filed Under: Halloween Recipes Tagged With: Cake, Cheesecake, cupcake, dessert, Fall, holiday food, pumpkin

Subscribe and get this FREE e-book!

Thank you for subscribing. Shortly, you will receive an email with the link to your free pdf e-book, 10 Mistakes Made When Using Candy Melts and How to Fix Them. You will also get fun food ideas sent directly to your inbox. I hope you have fun recreating my food crafts and recipes.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
Previous Post: « Mini Cheesecake Pumpkins – Halloween Recipes
Next Post: Apple Cloud Pie (Heaven on a Pita Chip) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jo and Sue

    September 19, 2013 at 2:44 pm

    Cake AND cheesecake…*boom* mind blown.
    I don't know if I should say "thank you" for bringing this deliciousness into my life
    or "what have you done" because now my diet has been completely derailed. 🙂
    I need to get me some pumpkin molds ASAP!

    Reply
    • beth

      September 19, 2013 at 4:25 pm

      I get it. I just ate part of one of these amazingly decadent cupcakes for breakfast. OMG, my diet is totally blown. I guess I'll need to ride my bike an extra 10 miles today. Eeek.

      Reply
  2. Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff

    September 19, 2013 at 4:39 pm

    This has got to be the BEST HALLOWEEN CUPCAKE EVER!!! It's cute, creative and most of all yummy chocolate!!!

    Diet? What diet?

    Reply
    • beth

      September 20, 2013 at 1:43 am

      Yep, my diet was really ruined with these cupcakes, but it was worth every bite.

      Reply
  3. Angela

    September 19, 2013 at 6:14 pm

    Beautifully done, as always, Beth. Thank you.

    Reply
    • beth

      September 20, 2013 at 1:43 am

      Thanks, Angela.

      Reply
  4. Unknown

    September 19, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    Beth;
    Your entire site is AMAZING, but I couldn't just read this post and walk away – bravo – this are excellent and perfect for the season!

    Reply
    • beth

      September 19, 2013 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks so much. I'm happy that you liked this post enough to stop by and saw more that intrigued you enough to stick around!

      Reply
  5. Lisa@hooplapalooza

    September 20, 2013 at 1:12 am

    the only time i'd walk away would be if there were a plate of these waiting for me in the next room!
    oh and btw, your pics are beauty full! :>D

    Reply
    • beth

      September 20, 2013 at 1:46 am

      Thanks, Lisa. I finally got a new camera. I've entered the world of DSLR photos and I am in love!

      Reply
  6. sugarswings

    September 20, 2013 at 1:24 am

    wow! how cool are these?!! do the cheesecakes pop out easily? I guess freezing is the key!

    Reply
    • beth

      September 20, 2013 at 1:51 am

      Thanks. Yes, the cheesecakes pop out so easy, but they do need to be frozen. I've had success removing them without freezing, but some might crack or break. Freezing is definitely the key.

      Reply
  7. Lindsay Ann @ Dollhouse Bake Shoppe

    September 20, 2013 at 2:26 am

    What a fantastic idea! I bet they taste so much better than the ones that have cake shapes baked in the center. YUMMMMMM!!!

    Reply
  8. The Partiologist

    September 20, 2013 at 12:19 pm

    Oh my oh my, these are the cutest stuffed brownies ever, not to mention the look
    they must taste heavenly! That ganache piled so high on top of a cheesecake filled
    brownie…. I just gained 5 pounds. Absolutely brilliant!! 🙂

    Reply
    • beth

      September 21, 2013 at 7:58 pm

      Believe me, I gained 5 pounds eating them! They really are addicting. I had to give most of them away just so I wouldn't eat all of them, because believe me, I wanted to:)

      Reply
  9. Dina

    September 20, 2013 at 5:34 pm

    that is so creative and cute!

    Reply
    • beth

      September 21, 2013 at 7:58 pm

      Thank you, Dina.

      Reply
  10. Karen @ Sugartown Sweets

    September 21, 2013 at 11:38 am

    If it's possible..your treats just keep getting cuter! I absolutely love these pumpkins.

    Reply
    • beth

      September 21, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      I do love cute food:) Thanks, Karen.

      Reply
  11. Lyuba @ Will Cook For Smiles

    September 23, 2013 at 1:04 am

    Oh my goodness, these are adorable!

    Reply
    • beth

      September 26, 2013 at 2:10 am

      Thanks, Lyuba!

      Reply
  12. Shamene Medeiros

    September 23, 2013 at 4:26 pm

    Wow thee are awesome! I want to try it! pinning it!
    Shamene @say it with cake

    Reply
    • beth

      September 26, 2013 at 2:10 am

      Thanks for the pin:)

      Reply
  13. Jennie

    September 23, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    These look amazing!! You are so talented!
    Come link up with me and share!
    http://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com

    Reply
  14. Maria

    September 23, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    Oh these are just TOO cute!!! I LOVE the pumpkin in the center, that is just the cutest idea!!!! Love love love this!!! The cupcakes look delicious too! Happy fall! 🙂

    Reply
  15. Kayla Janachovsky

    September 23, 2013 at 10:25 pm

    Wow! These look SO good – and what an awesome idea putting the pumpkin inside! Don't forget to link up to The DIY'ers. http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-diyers-30.html

    Reply
  16. Jill @ KitchenFunWithMy3Sons.com

    September 25, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    You are definitely the Queen of Halloween! These are awesome!

    Reply
  17. Ann Mcleod

    September 25, 2013 at 10:06 pm

    what a cute touch!!

    Reply
  18. The Bearfoot Baker

    September 25, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    No you didn't!! You didn't add the cute cheesecake pumpkins to the center of a delicious chocolate cupcake did you? YES YOU DID and I love it!!!!!

    Reply
  19. Kaysi @ Keeping it Simple

    September 27, 2013 at 2:30 am

    I am just blown away by this, they are so awesome!!!

    Reply
  20. Nat D.

    September 27, 2013 at 5:59 pm

    First of all, these are adorable! And second of all, THANKS for the PICTURES! It really helps, I'm a visual learner. Awesome!

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

WELCOME!

Don't miss out on the fun! Join the newsletter. New recipes every week. 

     You can unsubscribe at any time. 

    Powered By ConvertKit

    See all recipe categories

    St. Patrick's Day recipes from Hungry Happenings
    Easter Recipes and fun food crafts

    Footer

    Popular Easter Recipes

    Fill Crescent Roll Carrots with your favorite egg salad or ham salad and serve for Easter brunch or lunch.
    Peanut Butter Fudge Filled Chocolate Easter Bunnies couldn't be cuter. Each chubby little Easter treat is coated in milk chocolate ganache and is decorated with chocolate ears and feet.

    Hungry Happenings is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and occasionally writes sponsored posts which will be disclosed within the post. We value your privacy. Please read our Privacy Policy, Disclosure, and Terms of Service.

    Search Hungry Happenings by Category

    Copyright © 2019 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    MENU
    • Home
    • Hungry Happenings Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
      • Cheesecake Recipes
      • Decorated Cakes
      • Everyday Desserts
      • Homemade Candy
    • Chocolate Tips
      • learn all about chocolate
      • learn how to color and paint with chocolate
      • learn how to make modeling chocolate (candy clay)
    • Holiday Treats and Recipes
      • Valentine’s Day Recipes
      • St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
      • Easter Recipes
      • 4th of July Recipes
      • Halloween Recipes
      • Thanksgiving Recipes
      • Christmas Recipes
      • New Year’s Eve Recipes
      • Other Holidays
        • April Fool’s Day Recipes
        • Chinese New Year Recipes
        • Cinco de Mayo Recipes
        • Earth Day Recipes
        • Day of the Dead Recipes
        • Father’s Day Recipes
        • Hanukkah Recipes
        • Mardi Gras Party Food
        • Mother’s Day Recipes
    • Party Food
      • Baby Shower Recipes
      • Birthday Party Recipes
      • Fun Party Recipes
      • Graduation Party Food
      • March Madness Recipes
      • Super Bowl Recipes
      • Wedding Shower Recipes
      • Parties
      • Everyday Meals
    • Cute Food
      • Kid’s Treats
      • Movie and T.V. Character Treats
      • School and Teacher’s Treats
      • Summer Fun Recipes
    • About/Contact
    • Buy My Book
    • Explore
    • Readers’ Gallery