Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. If you want to bake up some sweet treats for the little ones or loved ones in your life this just might what you are looking for! If you have followed me you know I am not a baker. But I have had a HUGE amount of inspiration from one of my friends and fellow Volunteer Taste of Home Field Editor’s granddaughter. She is known as Miss. B among our group. Her grandmother, Elizabeth shares all of Miss. B’s amazing creations with us and let me just say the creativity, beauty and flavor combinations that Miss B makes will astound you. I’ll share some of her creations a little later in the post, you will be so impressed.

When I was deciding what to make for some Valentine’s Day fun I thought of all of Miss. B’s creations and decided on cupcakes. Keeping Miss. B in mind I did not want just any old cupcake so I decided on this strawberry cheesecake version. Are you impressed? This cupcake does take a little bit of time but I can promise you they are well worth it! I shared these cupcakes with our local fire department and one of the guys said he would cheat on his diet for one of these!

Ingredients for the Cupcakes

1 strawberry cake mix

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1 cup milk

For the Cheesecake Filling

1 3.4 ounce package instant cheesecake pudding

1/2 cup milk

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cup Cool Whip, thawed

For the Strawberry Buttercream

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

1/2 cup butter room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

1 Tablespoon water

3/4 cup diced strawberries

4 cups powdered sugar

Whole strawberries for garnish-optional

DIRECTIONS

Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners (18-20). Beat the cake mix, oil, milk and eggs for 2 minutes. Spoon the prepared batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the topsspring back when touched. Cool on a baking rack.

In a small bowl whisk the milk and pudding mix until creamy and thick. Beat the cream cheese until creamy, add the pudding mix to the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Fold in the whipped topping. Place this mixture into a large ziploc bag and cut corner of the bag making your own piping bag.

When the cupcakes have cooled you can use a cupcake corer or in my case I used a small knife to cut out the center of each cupcake. Using your “piping bag” pipe in the cheesecake mixture into the center of each cupcake but not going over the top of the cupcake. Refrigerate the cupcakes while you make the frosting.

For the frosting beat the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the salt, vanilla and strawberry extracts and beat again. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until it is combined.

Place the water and strawberries in a food processor or blender and purée. Pour the purée into the frosting and beat again until light and fluffy. To frost you can simply use a knife and frost the top of the cupcakes or you can use a piping bag and frosting tip to swirl the frosting on each of the cakes. Garnish each cupcake with a strawberry. You are ready to enjoy and share! It is best to store in the fridge.

Now that you have seen my creation I want to share with you some of Miss. B’s beautiful creations, take a look at these cupcakes! I should also mention Miss B also helps with the grocery shopping for all of the ingredients. This is where Elizabeth and Miss. B find much of their flavor inspiration. They think a lot about what is fresh and in season or maybe just something that interests Miss B at that moment! What a great way for them to spend the day. I’m looking forward to those days with my grandkids!

Aren’t these amazing? I should also mention that sweet Miss. B is only 6 years old! Yes, 6! I hope Miss B’s creations inspire you the way they did for me! A huge thank you to Miss. B, her grandmother Elizabeth, and Miss. B’s family for letting me share her amazing creations. I have no doubt Miss. B has an incredible cupcake recipe box! Keep cooking and baking Miss B, I’ll be watching for your creations!

Enjoy!