Strawberry and cream cheesecake cupcakes

The TV is full of Wimbledon at the moment and while it probably makes most people think about tennis, I think about strawberries and cream (it’s always food first!)


These cupcakes pack a lot of intrigue. They are pretty enough so that if all you got was what you saw i.e. a cupcake with a creamy strawberry topping, you’d be happy. But they have a secret! Baked inside the cupcake is a strawberry along with some creamy cheese filling.

After spooning half the batter into the paper cases you stand a strawberry in the mix:


Then the cream cheese filling:


Then the rest of the batter:


Mine went a bit wild in the oven!


The texture of the cake isn’t the normal spongy cake. I would say it was a halfway house between a cupcake and a scone. Once piled up with the cream and strawberry topping it is a substantial cake. Here they are ready to transport:


There are a few stages to making these but nothing complicated. As long as you have the time, you certainly have the skill.



One warning, so you don’t panic when making these, the batter is particularly ugly. The texture of it is a bit like when melted mozzarella starts to cool down and goes a bit stringy.

Ingredients:
For the cupcake:

90g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
150g caster sugar (50g for the cream cheese, 100g for the cakes)
350g plain flour
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
240ml milk
30g unsalted butter, melted
12 small strawberries, washed and hulled

For the strawberry and cream topping:
426ml double cream
3 tablespoons icing sugar

For decoration: 12 big strawberries

How to make:

- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
- Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Mix the cream cheese with 50g of caster sugar and set aside.
- Now make the cupcakes. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and remaining 100g of sugar.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and melted butter.
- Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and beat until well combined.
- Spoon half the batter into the 12 paper cases.
- Place a strawberry and a teaspoonful of cream cheese in the centre of each cupcake, then cover with the remaining cake batter. Ensure the strawberry is completely covered.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly (from around the edge – you want to test the sponge, not the strawberry!). Mine took 20 minutes and went a bit wild – they came out huge!
- Leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Now make the topping. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks then add the icing sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe onto the cupcakes.
- Top the cream with a lovely big strawberry with the leaves left on.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.