Raspberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

 I have news. Big news. News warranting as excessive amount of cupcakes. I am going to be an NBC Page.

After going through an interview/screening process that has taken almost a year, I got a call a few days ago from NBC and was asked to be in their next group of Pages. I was shaking I was so excited. Sometimes getting what you want can be slightly overwhelming, I had previous engagements for the time period they asked me to start, so I didn't know what to do. At first I said that I wouldn't be able to join this group, and they said thank you and that they would keep me in mind for next time. Then, once I was off the phone, I sat and thought for a bit.

And....

I had this dark, sinking feeling that I had made the wrong choice. Like being sucked into a pit of sand. So, to help figure things out, I spoke with Jeremy and he encouraged me to go for it and put my other plans aside. So, I called again. It went to voicemail. I left a message, explaining that I had thought more about it and that I would cancel my other plans and join the program. I also apologized for my excessive flip-floppiness. They called me back in a few minutes and welcomed me to the program. In celebration of this momentous occasion, I decided that cupcakes should be had by all! And not just any cupcakes, but cheesecake ones with a homemade raspberry jelly and graham cracker crust. I also included a video tutorial on how I did the frosting for these. I hope these bring you as much joy as my Page surprise brought me. Makes about 22 cupcakes.

Click Here For Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Cheesecake

(3) 8 Ounce Packages Cream Cheese

4 Eggs

1 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon Flour

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Fresh Raspberries for Garnish

Cheese Whipped Cream

2 and 2/3 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream, liquid not already whipped

3 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened

Raspberry Jelly

1 and 1/3 Cups Raspberries, fresh or frozen

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Water

Graham Cracker Crust

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

1/3 Cup Butter, melted

2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Start by making the raspberry jelly. Bring the raspberries, sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix well, breaking apart the raspberries with the end of your spoon. Allow to boil for 7 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Then put it in the refrigerator to chill.

Next, make the graham cracker crust. In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, brown sugar cinnamon, and graham cracker crumbs. Add the butter, and mix well. It should get kind of clumpy now, and should stick together if you press it between your fingers. Set it aside.

Now comes the cheesecake part. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and cream cheese until well blended. Add the heavy whipping cream and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Get out your cupcake pan and put in cupcake liners. Place 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture at the bottom of each cup, pressing it into the bottom of the cup gently with the backs of your curled fingers. Then, place 1 teaspoon of the raspberry jelly in the center of each of the graham cracker crusts. Next, fill each cup 3/4 full with the cheesecake mixture.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for another 12 to 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cheesecakes are golden. They will crack at the top, and that is okay, because we will be covering the cracks with whipped cream, which brings me to the next part.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the cheese whipped cream. Put the heavy whipping cream and cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on high for about 2 minutes, or until a dense and thick whipped cream forms. This will be much thicker than store bought whipping cream, and it will pipe out of the frosting bag quite nicely! Cover and refrigerate.

Once the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. Then, place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. Now they are ready to be frosted.

Fit a frosting bag with a size 13 closed star frosting tip. Now fill the bag two-thirds full of the whipped cream and roll down the empty top of the bag until the whipped cream is nice and compacted inside, as air bubbles will cause the frosting to sputter out messily rather than in nice, clean strokes. Grab a cupcake and start icing it around the outside edge, continuing around the edge until you are about to meet the point where you started frosting. Curl the frosting into the center of the cupcake, and you are done! It is basically like making a single, large spiral. 

Repeat this process with all of the cupcakes. Garnish the tops with a single raspberry. Serve immediately and refrigerate any leftovers.