Sweet toffee popcorn cheesecake cupcakes

I absolutely adore cheesecake and think cupcakes are one of the best inventions behind BB cream, food processors and screw cap wine bottles. So what happens when you combine the delicious power of cupcakes and cheesecake together…an epic party for your taste buds that’s what.

I have never really been number one fan of baked cheesecakes, I am more of a chilled, no bale cheesecake kinda girl. A few weeks ago I did dabble in making a baked cheesecake but learnt the hard way the perils of over cooking a cheesecake. All I was left with was a rubbery, magnolia coloured lump of a dessert.

cupcakes + popcorn + cheesecake 

But with this recipe, I now knew better. And I knew that you need to take them out of the oven whilst they are still a little wobbly.

I made these little delights for my charity bake sale at work the other week but in hindsight, this wasn’t the best cupcake to make for the occasion, they are much better suited for eating sooner, as leaving them out on display for hours resulted in the popcorn going soft and losing its fabulous popcorn crunch. Preferably, you need to sprinkle the popcorn on before serving.

popcorn cupcakes 

the ingredients...

For the base

80g digestive biscuits

50g toffee popcorn (I went for butterkist)

70g of melted butter

1tbsp of golden syrup (optional)

For the cheesecake filling

250g light cream cheese

250g mascarpone cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

200g condensed milk

For the toping

100g toffee popcorn

50g melted butter

1 tbs golden syrup

12 large cupcakes

Here is how to make the cheesecake cupcakes...

buttery popcorn goodness 

Preheat the oven to 170*c and line a muffin tin with cases

In a food processor or the old school style with a plastic bag and rolling pin, crush the biscuit and popcorn into fine breadcrumbs

In a large bowl, mix together the “breadcrumbs” and the butter

Place a spoonful of the mixture into the cupcake cases and compact the base down by pushing it with the end of a rolling pin – be delicate though and hold the cases to ensure you keep the shape and don’t flatten it

be careful and don't squash! 

stage 1: the popcorn base 

For the delicious cheesecake filling, whisk together the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese

Add the eggs, vanilla and condense milk and whisk again, making sure it is a smooth and creamy mixture

Carefully pour this mixture over the breadcrumb base on the cupcake cases.

You’ll need to be fairly quick as the mixture thickens up quite quickly which caught me by surprise!

I thought I was being clever by transferring the mixture into a jug, to pour it in but it thickened so quickly, it just made matters worse. Just use a spoon to get it in!!

whisk away

they'll go deliciously golden brown

Place in the oven and take them out to cool after 20-25 minutes until they have a slight golden colour but the texture is still a little wobbly, like jelly (they’ll look undercooked, but don’t worry, they’ll set as they are cooling)

Once cool to touch (perhaps about 15 min) chill them in the fridge for a few hours. To make the topping, mix together the popcorn, butter and syrup to create a sticky mixture. Spoon this onto of the cheesecake cupcakes and place back in the fridge quickly to set before serving.

hopefully the popcorn topping will stick! 

I gave them a spritz of gold spray

When reading the instructions, it may seem a little complex, but trust me it is actually quite a simple recipe!

They would be a perfect “show off” dessert if you are hosting a dinner party or party as they look so delicious!

X x X