Start the muffins: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the maple syrup and beat until combined.

Add one egg at a time and beat just until incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla and pumpkin puree and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the cake flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until combined.

Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture and ½ of the sour cream and beat on low speed until combined. Add ⅓ more of the flour mixture and the rest of the sour cream and beat on low speed until combined. Add the remaining of flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.

Cover your batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the batter is nice and chilled, or for up to 48 hours. This helps the leaveners to activate and the flavors to develop.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling: Stir together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla bean paste.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400ºF.

Line muffin cups with paper muffin liners. I prefer the jumbo size muffin pans and liners as they tend to stay moister. Using a 6-ounce ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill your muffin cups ¾ of the way with batter in a domed mound.

Scoop the cream cheese filling into a piping bag. Dip the cut tip of the piping bag into the center of the batter and slowly add about 1-1 ½ tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into each muffin, lifting the bag to the top of the muffin so some of the cream cheese mixture is poking through. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of each muffin around the cream cheese core.

Bake for 5 minutes. Then immediately decrease the oven temperature to 325ºF. Bake for 20-22 minutes for jumbo size muffins, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin portion of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them and placing them on a wire rack. Enjoy them warm or room temperature!

Store in a sealed container at room temp for up to 3 to 5 days (if they last that long)!