Cream Cheese Pound Cake Cupcakes Recipe
Cream Cheese Pound Cake Cupcakes
March 14, 2014 by Jelli 16 Comments
I was saving these cupcakes for summertime, when strawberry harvest is in full-swing and pool parties become a weekend norm. Then I decided that most of you are probably shuffling through snow-covered driveways trying not to catch cold and most likely need a dose of summer sunshine.What’s cheerier than a cream cheese pound cake cupcake topped with pretty pink strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream and sprinkles? Pound cake ranks high in my book. Aside from chocolate truffle cake, it’s the only cake I go bonkers about. A few weeks ago I was craving dense, sweet pound cake and made these pretty sour cream pound cake cupcakes to share. The cuppies are topped with a pink swirl of strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream. Stop drooling and pin this recipe, already!
If you’ve never experienced Swiss meringue buttercream, you’re in for a treat. It’s smoother than typical American buttercream and melts in your mouth like, well… buttah. This strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream is made by whipping heated egg whites with sugar to form a meringue. We’ll then add butter and a liberal dallop of strawberry preserves to the fluffy meringue to finish it off. This buttercream pipes beautifully and holds up well at room temperature. If you’re new to piping frosting, start with this tip. I use it for everything and you can’t go wrong!Have you tried frozen cake? I have a strange frozen cake fetish, so my husband and I taste tested these cupcakes both freshly frosted and frozen. We both liked the buttercream even better frozen. Yeah, we’re weird like that. No matter how you serve them, these cream cheese pound cake cupcakes are delicious and well worth the effort.Gather your supplies and let’s bake!
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Ingredients
- Cupcakes
- 1½ c. butter, at room temperature
- 1 bar (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temp.
- 3 c. sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 3 c. all-purpose flour
- 1½ t. salt
- 1 t. baking powder
- Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 4 egg whites
- 1¼ c. sugar
- ½ c. (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- pinch salt
- ½ t. vanilla
- ½ c. strawberry preserves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 34 cupcake tins with liners.
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat 5 minutes or until fluffy, scraping down bowl once or twice.
Add eggs one at a time and follow with vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add in half the flour along with baking powder, and salt. When nearly incorporated add remaining flour and mix only to combine. Fill muffin tins ¾ full and bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick removes clean.
Remove from muffin tin to a cooling rack. Mix frosting as cuppies cool.
Frosting
Place egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a bowl of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160F.
Attach whisk to mixer and beat the meringue mixture to stiff peaks on medium high. Beat until the side of the bowl feels neutral, no longer warm, approximately 10 minutes.
Add butter, one tablespoon at a time and beat until silky smooth and luscious. If it gets soupy, don’t despair! Keep on beating. If after 5-8 minutes your frosting is still runny, refrigerate 15 minutes and beat again. It WILL come together. Here is a tutorial for all you doubters.
Reduce speed to low and add preserves and vanilla. Pipe onto cupcakes.
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Nosh on more cupcakes right here:
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