Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes |Cooking With Amanda

What is it about us that makes us try to "recruit" people into whatever new thing we are in to?

I had to stop hanging out with people who are hardcore exercisers. Because look – I don't care if it's Crossfit or marathon running or yoga or that thing where it's like ballet – I am just not an exercise person. There are no tricks that will make me LIKE exercising, unless there's a trick where you exercise by eating cupcakes and watching Dr. Phil.

But no. Exercisers never want to believe that. They are convinced that if you try this program or that class then your life will be forever changed and you guys can all hang out like happy skinny people with low body fat and cute water bottles and lots of sports bras.

I actually do like sports bras. It's like the only part of sports that I enjoy. And the stadium nachos, but that's obvious. Don't we all?

I'd like to claim that I'm above such behavior, but I'm not. Not when it comes to cheesecake. I LOVE cheesecake – any and all. So when I meet people who do NOT like cheesecake, I feel obligated to convert them. Like I'm a member of some weird cheesecake cult, I start trying to think of ways to sneak cheesecake into their bodies.

I'll start with something simple and subtle – maybe a cheesecake frosting. "Oh…did you like that?" I'll ask. "It has cream cheese in it. I bet you'd like cheesecake, it's basically the same thing."

I'll gradually work my way up – maybe a cheesecake swirl in a fudgy brownie, a cream cheese filling in a cake…and then boom. I'm sitting on their chest forcing huge spoonfuls of cheesecake down their throat screaming, "TRY IT!! YOU'LL LIKE IT!!"

Just kidding. But not.

If there IS, by any chance, a non-cheesecake lover in your life, try these cupcakes. They are subtle, but creamy and SO good. The sweet yellow cupcakes have a swirl of cheesecake filling baked into them, and then are topped with a sweet cheesecake frosting. These are some of the best cupcakes I've had in quite some time!!

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Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 3.4 ounce box cheesecake flavored instant pudding
1 cup milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

For the Filling:

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

4 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
21 ounces cherry pie filling

Directions

For the Cake Layer:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake tins with liners and set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, beat cake mix, instant pudding, milk, vegetable oil, and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds.
Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Fill prepared cupcake tins 2/3 full.

For the Cheesecake Layer:

Wipe out your mixing bowl, then beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth.
Scrape the bowl and beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of each batter-filled tin.
Bake cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly touched in the center, about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing from pan to cool completely on wire rack.

For the Frosting:

In the bowl of your mixer, beat pudding mix and heavy cream with your mixer's whisk attachment on medium low until it begins to thicken. Increase speed to high and beat until thick – it should form stiff peaks when a spoon is pulled through it.
Generously frost cupcakes, then roll the frosting gently through graham cracker crumbs and top with a spoonful of cherry pie filling.