Description
Red Velvet Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes are pure delight nestled in a cute little wrapper! Rich cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberry chunks make these treats perfect for sharing with friends during afternoon coffee or a weekend gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Support Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping and Filling:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- 12 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to precisely 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Sift together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a medium bowl.
- Cream ½ cup room temperature butter with 1 cup sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Incorporate 2 large eggs one at a time into the butter mixture. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons red food coloring, and 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing your batter.
- Beat 8 ounces softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar until smooth. Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Fill each cupcake liner ⅓ full with red velvet batter. Add 1 tablespoon cheesecake filling, then cover with another layer of batter.
- Bake cupcakes for exactly 18-20 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Test doneness with a clean toothpick.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- Slice 1 cup fresh strawberries. Sprinkle with 12 tablespoons sugar if needed to enhance sweetness.
- Top each cooled cupcake with fresh strawberry slices before serving.
Notes
- Always use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth blending and even baking of the cupcake batter.
- When adding food coloring, start with less and gradually increase to achieve the perfect red velvet shade without affecting the batter’s texture.
- Avoid overmixing the batter, which can lead to tough, dense cupcakes – mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- For the cheesecake filling, make sure the cream cheese is softened and smooth to prevent lumps in the final product.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg