Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup crushed graham crackers
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, soft
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, no white bitter pith
- 2/3 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam
Directions
- Preheat oven 330°F. Fit a cupcake tin with liners. Set aside.
- Mix crushed graham crackers with melted butter and sprinkle evenly into cupcake liners.
- Blend two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest on lowest speed, alternatively mix by using a hand held spatula until no lumps remain. Scrape bowl well. Add one egg at a time waiting for previous added egg to be fully incorporated. Scrape bowl and beater between additions.
- Add sour cream and vanilla and pour half of batter onto the graham cracker crust.
- Spoon 2-3 teaspoons of strawberry jam onto the batter. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling on top.
- Place in oven and bake until center of cheesecakes no longer trembles, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle place in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile prepare frosting by mixing one 8-ounce cream cheese with powdered sugar on very low speed. Add vanilla and set aside.
- When cheesecake cupcakes have cooled, spoon frosting on surface or place in a piping bag fitted with a large star pastry tip. Pipe rosettes on surface.
- Prepare strawberry sauce by pureeing 1 cup strawberries with 4 tablespoons sugar.
- Drizzle with strawberry sauce.