Vanilla Cheesecake Cups (Print)
Creamy cheesecake cupcakes loaded with vanilla bean flavor and topped with a crispy caramel layer. A match made in dessert heaven with individual-sized portions.
# Ingredients:
→ Make the Crust
01 -
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
02 -
1 cup of crushed graham crackers
03 -
2 tbsp white sugar
→ Cheesecake Filling
04 -
1/2 cup cream for whipping
05 -
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
06 -
Another 8 oz of cream cheese, softened
07 -
A whole 1/2 cup of sour cream
08 -
2 eggs, large
09 -
Scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean
10 -
1 tsp extract of vanilla
11 -
1/2 cup white sugar
→ Sugar Topping for Brûlée
12 -
1/4 cup white sugar for caramelizing (around 1 tsp per cupcake)
# Steps:
01 -
Preheat the oven to 325°F (or 160°C) and get a standard muffin pan with 12 cups lined up with cupcake liners.
02 -
Mix the butter, sugar, and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl until it's all moist. Take about 1 tbsp of this mix for each cupcake liner, pressing it firmly to form a base.
03 -
Use a big mixing bowl and blend the softened cream cheese with sugar until it's nice and smooth. Add one egg, beat, then add the second egg. Stir in the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds, and extract until it all comes together.
04 -
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the liners, roughly 3/4 full each. Drop the pan lightly on the counter to pop extra air bubbles.
05 -
Place it into your preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. You want the centers to firm up, but a tiny jiggle in the middle is alright as long as it doesn't look too wet.
06 -
Once baked, leave them in the pan to cool completely. Move them to the fridge and let them chill for at least 2 hours to properly firm up, or better yet, overnight.
07 -
Right before eating, sprinkle around 1 tsp of sugar over each cheesecake's top. Use a kitchen torch and heat until the sugar melts into an amber crust. Don't let it burn!
08 -
Let the caramelized tops harden for a few minutes. Serve while they're chilled, giving guests a creamy bite with a crispy sugar topping.
# Notes:
01 -
If no torch is handy, stick the sugared cheesecakes under a broiler for about 1-2 minutes, but keep a close eye so they don't char.
02 -
For the crispiest topping, brûlée the sugar right before it's time to eat. If left refrigerated after caramelizing, the sugar might turn soft.
03 -
Don't have vanilla beans? Go ahead and use an extra teaspoon of top-notch vanilla extract instead.