Author Notes
When I was a kid, my mom used to whip up these little cheesecake cupcakes. She used a vanilla wafer cookie as the crust, a basic cheesecake and when they were baked she topped them with a canned pie filling (blueberry or strawberry). I LOVED them. Still dream about them. I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake but the ratios on this cupcake were just so right on. So here is my version, updated and a bit more sophisticated but keeping with my mom's tradition. The pie filling is replaced with a more nuanced and much less sweet blueberry balsamic compote and the cheesecake has a bit of mascarpone to make it extra creamy. The crust is now that familiar graham cracker crust enhanced with a little spice. Enjoy! —meganvt01
Ingredients
- Blueberry Balsamic Compote
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1 pint
Plus 1 cup blueberries, washed and separated (1 ping separated from the other 1 cup)
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1
large navel orange, juiced and zested
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3 teaspoons
good quality balsamic vinegar
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1/4 cup
light brown sugar
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
1 tablespoon
corn starch
- Mascarpone Cheesecake Cupcakes
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1.5 cups
crushed graham crackers
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2 tablespoons
granulated sugar
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1
stick, salted butter, melted
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1/2 teaspoon
cinnamon
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8 ounces
cream cheese, room temperature
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8 ounces
mascarpone cheese
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1/2 cup
granulated sugar
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4
large eggs
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1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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1
lemon, zested + juiced
Directions
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For the blueberry compote: In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the balsamic and the sugar to dissolve. Then add the orange juice and zest and 1 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Cook down the berries over medium heat until they burst and release their juices. They will thicken up over about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the cornstarch to make a slurry. Whisk into the blueberries. Simmer an additional minute or so until thick. Remove from heat and stir in the retained blueberries. Set aside.
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For the Cupcakes: Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners.
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For the Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, sugar (2 T) and butter. Place the mix in the bottom of the liner and bake for 10 minutes.
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In a stand mixer or with your hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, mascarpone, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined.
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Pour the batter evenly into the cupcake liners. Bake for about 15 minutes. They should still jiggle slightly in the center. Cool completely then transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
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To finish: top each cupcake with Blueberry Balsamic Compote and enjoy!
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