These red velvet cheesecake cupcakes are a fun twist on red velvet cupcakes! The homemade red velvet cupcakes are filled with a cheesecake filling, and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting!
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🧁All cupcakes need a cheesecake filling!
I love cupcakes with fillings in them, like this one and this one! Red velvet recipes are so fun, especially for Valentine's Day, that I decided to make a red velvet cupcake with a cheesecake filling (have I mentioned how much I love cheesecake too!?!). The cheesecake filling was such a good choice! It's tangy, rich, and pairs so well with red velvet.
I frosted the cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting, because red velvet cupcakes should always be frosted with cream cheese. This is going to be the only way I'll make red velvet cupcakes from now on!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Buttermilk - You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 ¼ teaspoons of vinegar to a measuring cup. Add the milk to the measuring cup until it gets to the ½ cup mark. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Unsalted butter - You can use salted butter. Omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Red food colouring - Liquid food colouring works best in this recipe.
- Cream cheese - Make sure you use cream cheese blocks. Those are meant for baking and cooking.
🔪Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
Start by making the cheesecake filling because it needs to be ready for when you make the cupcake batter. Mix cream cheese and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add vanilla, egg yolk, and salt, and mix until combined.
Cover bowl and refrigerate while you make the cupcakes.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, vinegar, vanilla extract, and food colouring. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Slowly add in hot water and stir to combine.
Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of cupcake batter. Then add about 2 tablespoons of prepared cheesecake filling to each cupcake liner, making sure the cheesecake filling stays in the middle and doesn't touch the sides of the liner.
Continue to fill the cupcake liners with the remaining cupcake batter until they are ¾ full. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes and then remove from the muffin tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine cream cheese and butter to a bowl and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar and salt, and mix until smooth.
Pipe cream cheese frosting onto cooled cupcakes. I used a large round piping tip.
✔️Experts tips
- You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 ¼ teaspoons of vinegar to a measuring cup. Add the milk to the measuring cup until it gets to the ½ cup mark. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Make the cheesecake filling a day ahead if you would like. I'm all about saving time lol
- Use a prepared red velvet cupcake box if you want. Use my recipe for the cheesecake filling and cream cheese frosting.
- Liquid red food colouring works the best in this recipe.
💭FAQs
Yes because this red velvet cupcake recipe features a cheesecake filling and cream cheese frosting, they will need to be refrigerated.
You can make the cheesecake filling up to 2 days ahead. The cupcakes can be made a day ahead of time too. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator because they have cheesecake frosting in them. Frost the next day.
I don't recommend freezing the red velvet cheesecake cupcakes because of the cheesecake filling in them. They wouldn't thaw very well.
🔖Related recipes
📋 Recipe
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Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons red food coloring
- ½ cup hot water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cheesecake Filling
- Mix cream cheese and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add vanilla, egg yolk, and salt, and mix until combined.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate while you make the cupcakes.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350F (180°C). Line a muffin tin with liners.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, vinegar, vanilla extract, and food colouring.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Slowly add in hot water and stir to combine.
- Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of cupcake batter. Then add about 2 tablespoons of prepared cheesecake filling to each cupcake liner, making sure the cheesecake filling stays in the middle and doesn't touch the sides of the liner.
- Continue to fill the cupcake liners with the remaining cupcake batter until they are ¾ full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes and then remove from the muffin tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Combine cream cheese and butter to a bowl and mix until combined. Add powdered sugar and salt, and mix until smooth.
- Pipe cream cheese frosting onto cooled cupcakes. I used a large round piping tip. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 ¼ teaspoons of vinegar to a measuring cup. Add the milk to the measuring cup until it gets to the ½ cup mark. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Make the cheesecake filling a day ahead if you would like. I'm all about saving time lol
- Use a prepared red velvet cupcake box if you want. Use my recipe for the cheesecake filling and cream cheese frosting.
- Liquid red food colouring works the best in this recipe.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️