Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Marie-Michelle Chouinard

Owner at Mousse Meringue, Vegan Bakery

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Instagram: @moussemeringue

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Q: Your favorite recommended tips in the kitchen?

A: Step out of your comfort zone. Seriously, it changes everything. Try something new or a recipe that scares you. You might find a new passion in something completely unknown. There was a time when I cooked only savory meals, and I was actually very bad at baking. I burned a crazy amount of cookies in my life. One day I started making vegan cheesecake and loved the way you can play with flavors and style the cakes. I eventually started to bake, and here I am enjoying a new passion!

Q: Any baking tips you swear by?

A: For many years, I followed recipes that said to preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and I ended up burning a lot of treats. For most ovens, it’s too high. After a few tries, I found that 325°F/165°C is the best for baking. Cakes cook evenly and you don’t get the bottom burnt. Another good tip would be to use the second rack of the oven when baking. It helps a lot to get moist and golden treats.

Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

~Serves 12~

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

²⁄³ cup unsweetened soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup flour

²⁄³ cup sugar

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1⁄ ³ cup vegetable oil

½ vanilla pod or

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup frozen blueberries

Lemon Jam

Zest of 3 lemons

Juice of 3 lemons

½ cup sugar + 1 cup water

½ tsp agar-agar

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup vegan cream cheese

1 cup vegan butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

Cupcakes Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C. Mix milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes. Mix dry ingredients. Once the milk has curdled, add oil and vanilla. Mix well. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Add the lemon zests and mix until well combined. Put 1 tbsp blueberries at the bottom of each parchment-lined cupcake mold. Pour cupcake batter to fill each mold to ²⁄³ capacity. Bake for 19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once at room temperature, core the center of each cupcake and fill with lemon jam. Top with cream cheese frosting. Lemon Jam In a saucepan, mix the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and water. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Bring to a boil, add the agar-agar and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside. Frosting In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter. Mix for a few minutes until creamy. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar. Mix well.