Cheese Cupcakes with a moist crumb and crisp cheese topping will surely be a family favorite. Perfect for breakfast or as a midday snack!
On a visit to the Philippines a few years ago, I went to our local bakery to buy some coconut macaroons and cheese cupcakes, only to be disappointed. They had packs and packs of the macaroons, but none of the latter.
These cupcakes were all the craze when I was in high school and my favorite snack to bring for school recess, so I was pretty bummed out to find out they were no longer available. Lamenting this fact to my officemate when she inquired about my trip, she said her friend had a recipe and she'd give it to me.
I am glad she did because the cupcakes I made were fantastic. They were moist and buttery, and with a delicious crown of cheese, I quickly polished off two or three as soon as I took them out of the oven.
I couldn't get enough of the sweet and salty medley of flavors. Every bite sure brought back many delicious childhood memories.
If you're in a baking mood, you can also try these calamansi crumb muffins, which are loaded with citrus taste! Satisfy your sweet cravings with chocolate cupcakes with mocha buttercream frosting!
Ingredient notes
- Flour- the recipe uses all-purpose flour
- Butter- adds rich flavor and tender texture. If substituting salted butter, omit salt.
- Eggs- give structure and help with leavening. Use room-temperature eggs for best results.
- Condensed milk- adds sweetness and creaminess.
- Baking powder- acts as a leavening agent.
- Cheese- I use Eden brand in the batter, but any quick-melt variety should work. I like the intense flavor of sharp cheddar for the topping but feel free to substitute it with Monterey Jack, Edam, or Gouda. Do NOT use mozzarella, as it gets too stringy.
- Sugar- use white granulated sugar. It adds depth of color and flavor and keeps the baked goods soft and moist.
- Salt- balances the overall flavor; providing contrast to the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract- optional. Add ยฝ teaspoon of vanilla or orange extract to the batter for another layer of flavor.
Cheese Cupcakes Step-by-step process
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until well dispersed.
- In a medium bowl, combine eggs, butter, and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer.
- Beginning and ending with flour mixture, add flour mixture in thirds and ยฝ of sweetened condensed milk in between (โ flour mixture, ยฝ condensed milk, โ flour mixture, ยฝ condensed milk, and โ flour mixture) to egg mixture. Beat at low speed with every addition.
- Add quick-melt cheese and fold in to combine.
- Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill each muffin hole up to ยพ full using a scoop. Top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Baking tips
- If the quick-melt cheese is too soft and hard to shred, pop in the freezer for 2 to 3 minutes to firm up a little.
- An essential step in this recipe is combining the dry ingredients and condensed milk with the egg mixture. Make sure to add the flour in thirds and the condensed milk in half, beginning and ending with the flour and beating well after each addition.
- Use an ice cream scoop for consistent sizes and even baking.
- Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan after a minute and cool completely on a wire rack so they don't continue to bake in the pan's residual heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cheese cupcake calories?
Calories may vary depending on the ingredients used. The estimated calorie per serving for this recipe is 213 KCAL.
How to serve and store
- Cheese cupcakes are delicious for breakfast or as a midday snack with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. They also make a great addition to the kids' packed lunches.
- Properly stored in an airtight container, the cupcakes will keep moist at room temperature for up to a week. Cool completely before transferring them to the containers, as the condensation might create sticky cupcake tops.
- Freeze cupcakes to keep longer. Wrap individually in plastic film, store in resealable bags, and freeze for up to 3 months.
More baked goods favorites
Ingredients
- 1 ยพ cups flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ cup butter, softened
- ยฝ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- ยฝ cup quick-melt cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Equipment
- 12-hole muffin pan
- electric mixer
- muffin liners
Instructions
- Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, beat butter, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer until combined.
- Beginning and ending with flour mixture, add flour mixture in thirds and ยฝ of sweetened condensed milk in between (โ flour mixture, ยฝ condensed milk, โ flour mixture, ยฝ condensed milk and โ flour mixture) to egg mixture. Beat at low speed with every addition.
- Add quick-melt cheese and stir to combine.
- Using a scoop or spoon, fill each muffin hole up to ยพ full. Top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and top is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Notes
- If the quick-melt cheese is too soft and hard to shred, pop in the freezer for 2 to 3 minutes to firm up a little.
- An essential step in this recipe is combining the dry ingredients and condensed milk with the egg mixture. Make sure to add the flour in thirds and the condensed milk in half, beginning and ending with the flour and beating well after each addition.
- Use an ice cream scoop for consistent sizes and even baking.
- Remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan after a minute and cool completely on a wire rack so they don't continue to bake in the pan's residual heat.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Via Fajardo says
Hi Ms. Lalaine,
thanks for sharing this recipe ๐
Lalaine says
You're welcome, Via ๐
Beverly says
I tried last night... It taste good pero talaga bang matigas ito.hindi po sya fluffy. Wat i did wrong...
Lalaine says
Hi Beverly
I am sorry, it is hard for me to know what went wrong without knowing the steps you took. Just make sure next time to beat the butter, sugar and eggs well. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the egg mixture. Flour, milk, flour, milk and flour and beat well after each addition. Hope this helps.
Carmz says
I tried it, i was very good. Lasang lemon square cupcakes saka, sabi ni hubby masarap daw yung gawa kong muffins. Hahaha yung texture nya kasi parang muffin hindi soft. As is para din syang lemon square na siksik.
Dona says
Maraming salamat po sa recipe... Super like it! God bless po!
Lalaine says
Salamat rin, Dona, for your feedback. I am glad you like the cupcakes ๐
Kelly says
Ms. Lalaine, pwede po ba na cheddar cheese din ang gamitin sa batter instead of quickmelt then i-double ang amount(1cup- instead of 1/2). Hindi ba maapektuhan ang end product, making it too dense or soft?
Salamat.
Lalaine says
Hi Kelly
Hindi ko pa nasubukan itong cheese cupcakes na cheddar lang ang gamit. I think it will work, although yung quickmelt kasi, creamy pag natunaw. Please let me know how it turns out.
Rose Cruz says
I tried it with cheddar cheese lang and it was good! Sarap din!
Lalaine says
Thank you for the feedback, Rose. ๐
ana says
Just like u this was a lovely memory from my high school days...it tasted good and it was the cheapest snack from the canteen. thanks
Lalaine says
Yes, our school canteen always sold these cheese cupcakes as well. I always one (or two) for recess with a bottle of Coke. Simple comfort food.
adi says
Can i use all purpose flour?
Lalaine says
Hi Adi
Yes, all purpose flour is perfect for making these cupcakes ๐
Princes says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My husband , my son and my parents loved it. Actually, my son asked me again to bake it for school. They're absolutely crazy about this cheesecake recipe. You're the best Lalaine!
Lalaine says
Yay! I am glad your family loved them. Thanks, Princes, for sharing your baking experience and for rating the recipe ๐
Donna Lavadia says
The taste was fantastic but I didn't achieve the fluffy part ๐ What did I do wrong? ๐ Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Vim says
Hi Lalaine, can i put frosting on this cupcake? If so, what type of frosting? Thank you!
Lalaine says
If you want to add frosting, I would recommend skipping the cheese on top. Cream cheese frosting would be great for this ๐
Jane says
Hi Lalaine!
I saw your recipe today and I said to myself, " I will try baking this cheese cupcakes." It's snowing outside and this would be the best idea to make a snack in the afternoon. It turned out perfect and looked delicious after baking. I used the Cracker Barrel marble cheese and bake it for 30". I just loved the golden color on top of the cake. Since I took it out from the oven, I took a picture right away and shared it to my friends. This is my first cheese cupcake and I feel very excited! Thanks for the wonderful recipe..More power!
sunshine scarella says
hi lalaine, thank you for sharing your recipe. I tried baking this today and the taste was so delish! ๐
Joseph C. says
This is my first ever baking session and I followed this recipe as it is except the condensed milk where I use just half a can. I got very excellent result exactly as per the picture and the taste is to my liking (not too sweet).
My daughter who is not fond of cheese like it too ! Thank you Lalaine for the excellent recipe. I hope you can publish more nice baking recipes for a novice home baker/ hobbiest like me !
Sleepless @Bangkok
Lalaine says
Thanks, Joseph. I am glad you enjoyed the cheese cupcakes. More baking projects to come ๐
liz borres says
Can I use cheez whiz instead of quick melt? I don't have access to Velveeta's quick melt.
Lalaine says
Hi Liz
I've never tried cheez wiz so I am not sure if it would work. It's consistency is different from Velveeta and might alter the resulting product. I think you'll be better off just eliminating the quick melt and just add more cheddar cheese.
jann says
Hi Lalaine! I've tried this cheese cupcake and it was a blast! This is the first time I've tried to bake i'm more of into cooking different dishes...my son told me that i should do some baking for them because they love cookies and cupcakes (kids thing, as usual they like sweets!) so i look for some recipe here in the net and found your recipe for cheese cupcake, which i personally prefer also because i like cheesecake and everybody in the family loves it, as well as the neighbor and my son's classmate ๐ my son said i did well in baking turned out i baked for 2 consecutive day because he want it for his baon/snack in school. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your recipe gives me more confidence that i should continue what i started in baking....God bless you for sharing this!
Lalaine says
Thanks, Jann, for the feedback. I am glad to be a part of your kitchen adventures. Like your boy, cheese cupcakes were my favorite baon for recess, too. Happy baking! ๐
Joey says
Dear Lalaine,
Just wondering, i've tried this recipe last night. The tast was really good but the cupcake did not really raise well like what you have in the picture? What kind of baking powder did you use? Does it have to be a "double acting" king of baking powder? Also, do I need to use a hand mixer to beat all ingredients or i can do it manually? My husband loved it though i am really not impressed with the outcome. i wanted it to look exactly in the same photo above. Hope you could help me..Thanks
Lalaine says
Hi Joey
Yes, I used double acting baking powder. Single acting can make baked goods fall flat especially if the batter sits out too long before baking or if you over mix it. Could it be the baking powder you used is a expired? A good way to tell is if you drop half a teaspoon or so in hot water, it should fizzle. This is important as it gives the cupcake the "lift" you are looking for. I used a hand mixer to make the batter. I am not sure if doing it by hand will "beat" the ingredients enough. Hope this helps.
Joey says
Thanks a lot Lalaine. I think it has something to do with the baking powder as the one I used is not a double acting kind that is why my cupcake fell flat. It is not expired as I carefully check on all ingredients before use. I will change it next time. Thanks for the tip. The taste though was divine according to my hubby ๐
Lalaine says
Please let me know how it works out next time. ๐