Parmesan Sour Cream Cupcakes with Raspberry Whipped Cream Frosting

Cross a cheese biscuit with angel food cake and you get Parmesan sour cream cupcakes.  They're buttery, airy, sticky and sugary on the edges, and they have a tang from Parmesan that works in a cupcake so much better than you would ever expect.  If you like the combination of sweet and salty, this is a cupcake for you. 

The Parmesan sour cream cake recipe came from Susan at LunaCafe.  She was inspired to develop the recipe after trying Parmesan pound cake at Metrovino in Portland, Oregon.  Susan had the following to say about her version of the Parmesan cake:

This is one of the most delectable butter cakes in my repertoire. It’s unlikely that anyone will detect the parmesan if not told in advance of its presence. It adds an extra something though that is irresistible (umami), and yes, possibly addictive.

After reading her description of the Parmesan cake, I had to turn it into cupcakes and share the recipe with you! 


Parmesan Sour Cream Cupcake Recipe

As noted above, the cake recipe came from LunaCafe.  I am printing it below with my notes, conversion to cupcakes, and my original raspberry whipped cream recipe.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 ounces very finely grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cool room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 large eggs, cool room temperature, beaten lightly
• 1/2 cup sour cream, cool room temperature

Raspberry Whipped Cream Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• about 16 raspberries (I used defrosted frozen raspberries)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Cake Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, Parmesan, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter briefly until smooth. (If you don't have a stand mixer, don't despair. You can still make this recipe - just mix with whatever tool you have.  Your cupcakes just might not end up quite as fluffy.)
4. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar.  Mix on medium speed for 5 full minutes, until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture.
5. With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the eggs, tablespoon by tablespoon.  If the mixture begins to curdle, stop adding the eggs and increase the speed until batter is again creamy. Then decrease the speed and resume adding the eggs. Continue to cream, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times, until the mixture appears fluffy white, velvety, and increased in volume, about 3 minutes.(Note: "drizzling teaspoon by teaspoon" is how Susan put it.  I bake with my toddler, who just dumps the whole egg in.  My recipe came out fantastic.  Maybe it would be better if I did it her way, but I always like to remind people not to stress too much about baking.  Have fun!)
6. Stir in 1/4 of the flour mixture. 
7. Add 1/3 of the sour cream, stirring until blended.  
8. Repeat the procedure, alternating dry and liquid ingredients, ending with the final addition of flour.
9. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners.  
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry. 

Raspberry Whipped Cream Directions:

1. Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Smash the berries until you have a liquidy raspberry paste.  
3. Mix in the berries and powdered sugar until just combined.
4. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.

Baking With Cheese

If you like the idea of cheese in your cupcakes, I've got many other cheesy cupcakes for you to explore:

• Cranberry and Cheese Danish Cupcakes
• Apple Bacon Cheddar Cupcakes with Mesquite Buttercream
• Sweet Pea and Ricotta Cupcakes 
• Quince, Manchego, and Ritz Cheesecake Cupcakes 
• Wine and Cheese Cupcakes
• Savory Cupcakes - Fig, Goat Cheese, and Onion
• The Devil and The Monk (made with trappist cheese)
• Peach Pie with Brie
  
• Beer Cheese Cupcakes with Bacon Cheddar Cream Cheese Frosting
  
• Black Bottom Cupcakes With Goat Cheese