Strawberry Cheesecakes

Trying to maintain the illusion that summer is still with us I decided to make these seasonal cupcakes to celebrate Ivy’s Uncle’s birthday. Another bonkers recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook - suggesting that you cover yourself and anyone in the near vicinity with flour. They were very tasty and moist and the fresh strawberries were lovely. I halved the icing and the crumbled digestives on top – how on earth they thought you actually fit 200g biscuit crumbs on top of these is beyond me, 100g was too much (and according to some could be omitted altogether). I did like the upside down cheesecake idea though.

Ingredients:
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
pinch of salt
40g unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
12 large strawberries, chopped into pieces
200g (yeah, right! Try 80g -100 g) digestive biscuits

Cream cheese frosting:
300g icing sugar sifted
50g unsalted butter and room temperature
125g cold cream cheese
(But I halved all these ingredients)

Oven at 170 degrees.
Put the flour, bp , salt and butter in a bowl and beat with a handheld electric whisk – then take a  shower. Alternatively, put the ingresdeitns in a bowl and rub the butter into the dry mixture with your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Pour in the milk and vanilla extract and beta until combined. Add the egg and beat well for a few minutes.

Divide the chopped strawberries between 12 paper cakes and spoon the mixture evenly on top. I think I’d rather mix the strawberries into the mixture first though as I did with the pear and ginger cupcakes. I’m not so keen on the fruit being at the bottom, I prefer the fruit within the cake. Bake for about 20-25 minutes (I didn’t use the fan).

Leave to cool then make the icing; combine the icing sugar and butter and beat well then add the cream cheese and beat again but not for too long – it can become runny. Spoon on to the cupcakes and top with the crushed digestive biscuits.