Description
Delight in these Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes featuring a creamy lemon-infused cheesecake batter atop a crunchy vanilla wafer crust, topped with sweet cherry pie filling. Perfectly portioned and elegantly simple, these cupcakes are an ideal dessert for gatherings or a special treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 30 vanilla wafers
Cheesecake Batter
- 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Topping
- Cherry pie filling, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cupcakes.
- Prepare Batter: Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and lemon juice together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the batter aside.
- Prepare Muffin Tin: Line a muffin tin with muffin liners to make removal easy and prevent sticking.
- Add Base: Place one vanilla wafer at the bottom of each muffin cup for a crunchy base.
- Fill Cups: Spoon the cream cheese batter into each muffin cup, filling about three-quarters full to allow room for rising.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake the cupcakes one tray at a time at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 22 minutes each, ensuring even cooking throughout.
- Cool and Sink: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool. Note that the centers will sink while cooling, which is normal.
- Add Topping: Once cooled, spoon a scoop of cherry pie filling into the center of each cupcake.
- Chill: Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least 1 hour before serving to set the filling and enhance flavors.
Notes
- These cupcakes bake best if done one tray at a time for even heat distribution.
- Using room temperature cream cheese ensures a smooth batter without lumps.
- The sunken centers after baking are expected and perfect for holding the cherry pie filling.
- You can substitute cherry pie filling with other fruit toppings like blueberry or strawberry preserves.
- Refrigerating the cupcakes improves texture and flavor, so don’t skip this step.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
