“It’s important to use pieces of fresh strawberry in this recipe — they moisten the cake and texture of the cupcakes. The crumbled cookies sprinkled on top add the flavor of a cheesecake base. At the bakery we like to cover the frosting generously with crumbled cookies but you can add as little or as much as you like.”
– The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Get the Recipe: Hummingbird Bakery Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • a scant 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (increase to 1 1/2 teapoons for sea-level)
  • a pinch of salt
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk, at room temperature (decrease to 1/2 cup for sea-level)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 6 large strawberries, chopped into small pieces
  • 3 oz. graham crackers

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, cold

Instructions
 

The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook’s Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe

    (Adapted for a high-altitude environment of approximately 5,000 ft)

    • Preheat the oven to 375 (F) — this is a 50 degree (F) increase from the original, sea-level recipe temperature of 325 (F).
    • Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
    • Pour in the milk and vanilla and beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed, making sure to scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
    • Add the egg to the batter and beat well for a few minutes to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
    • Divide the chopped strawberries between the paper cases in the muffin tray. Spoon the batter until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until light golden and the cake tops bounce back when touched. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.
    • Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
    • Roughly break up the graham cracker cookies and put them in a food processor. Process until finely ground.
    • When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the cream cheese frosting on top and finish with a sprinkling of ground cookies.

    The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook’s Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

      (For All Altitudes)

      • Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
      • Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated.
      • Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy — this should take at least five minutes. However, be careful not to overbeat as the frosting can quickly become runny.

      Notes

      Tips & Addendums
        • If you would like to add a “graham cracker base” to your cupcakes, grind 3 oz. worth of graham crackers in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the crumbs and mix together until the butter has fully integrated with the crumbs. Place 1 teaspoon of the butter-crumb mixture at the bottom of each cupcake case, making sure to flatten the crumbs out for an even base. Bake in the oven at 375 (F) for 5 minutes. Follow the recipe instructions above, placing the strawberries and batter on top of this graham cracker base:

        • All spoon measurements are level and unsifted, unless otherwise specified. To level the ingredients, take the back of a knife and run it across the top of the measuring cup until the excess ingredients are scraped off.
       
        • Liquid and dry measuring cups are different; please make sure you use the appropriate measuring cup for each ingredient.
        • After adding liquid (milk, eggs) to the flour mixture, don’t overbeat as this will overwork the flour and make the cake sense — simply beat or stir until liquids have just been incorporated. In my opinion, making sure you don’t overbeat the batter is one of the hardest parts about baking.
       
        • Don’t open your oven until at least the minimum time recommended has passed. Too much cold air coming from a frequently opened oven door causes irregular oven temperatures, which then affect the baking process.
       
        • You may have noticed that the strawberry cheesecake cupcakes have a slightly longer baking time than other Hummingbird cupcake recipes posted in this blog. The strawberries in the recipes contain more moisture which leach out into the cupcake batter during the baking process — this extra moisture requires more time to set in the oven.
       
        • Do not put too many strawberries in your cupcakes; doing so will result in slightly soggy, mushy cupcakes that easily smush in at the base.
       
        • At higher altitudes, the Hummingbird Bakery’s recipe for cream cheese frosting can be too stiff. I like to use an extra tablespoon of butter to soften the frosting. I also throw in a couple drops of vanilla extract to give the frosting a hint of vanilla flavor.
       
        • I like to use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out frosting onto my cupcakes; that way, each cupcake receives the same amount of frosting.
       
      • Add the graham cracker crumbs immediately after frosting the cupcake. If you wait to do so, the frosting will harden and the crumbs will not stay on the cake.
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