Guava Cream Cheese Cupcakes

• Prep40 min
• Cook25 min
• Total2 h 10 min
• Serves12

Ingredients

Guava glaze

• 200 g guava paste, in cubes (7 oz)
• 80 g water (1/3 cup)
• 15 g fresh lime juice (1 tbsp)

Vanilla cupcakes

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
• 150 g sugar (3/4 cup)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 190 g all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 120 g whole milk, at room temperature (1/2 cup)

Guava cream cheese frosting

• 115 g unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
• 300 g powdered sugar (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 pinch salt
• 225 g cream cheese, cold, in cubes (one 8 oz block)
• 60 g cooled guava glaze (3 tbsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 drop pink gel food coloring, optional

To decorate

• 1 or 2 fresh pink guavas, in thin wedges, optional

Instructions

1. Place the guava paste, water and lime juice in the mixing bowl and cook 5 min/90°C (195°F)/speed 2. With the measuring cup in place, blend 20 sec/speed 5-8, increasing speed gradually, until smooth. Pour into a bowl and let it cool completely; it thickens as it cools.
2. Rinse and dry the mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
3. Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl and mix 1 min/speed 4. Scrape down the sides, add the eggs and vanilla and mix 30 sec/speed 4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and milk and mix 10 sec/speed 4, scrape down and mix 5 sec/speed 4.
4. Divide the batter among the liners, about two thirds full, and bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then on a rack until completely cool.
5. Wash and dry the mixing bowl. Place the butter, powdered sugar and salt in it and mix 30 sec/speed 4. Scrape down the sides, add the cream cheese, 60 g of the guava glaze, the vanilla and the coloring, if using, and mix 20 sec/speed 4. Scrape down and mix 10 sec/speed 4, just until smooth.
6. Refrigerate the frosting for 20 minutes if it feels soft. Pipe a swirl on each cupcake with a large open star tip.
7. Stir 1 or 2 teaspoons of warm water into the rest of the guava glaze so it runs from a spoon, drizzle it over the frosting and top each cupcake with a wedge of fresh guava.

Tips

• Do not overmix the cream cheese frosting: a few seconds too long and it turns runny. If that happens, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before piping.
• For a guava surprise inside, drop 1/2 teaspoon of the glaze onto the batter in each liner and swirl it with a toothpick before baking.
• No fresh guava? Top each cupcake with a small cube of guava paste instead.
• Keep the cupcakes covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days, and take them out 20 minutes before serving.