Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 28 cupcake liners
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3 1/2 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 28 vanilla wafers
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350.
• 2 line 28 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• 3 prepare the filling: place cream cheese in small mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer. add the sugar, egg and vanilla and continue to beat for 1 minute.
• 4 prepare the cupcake batter: place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. blend with an electric mix on low for 30 seconds. scrape down sides, increase speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes.
• 5 place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake liner. spoon 1/4 cup batter on top of each wafer. gently dollop 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on top of each cupcake. the cup will be nearly full. do not shake the pans.
• 6 bake until the cupcakes are golden and spring back when touched, about 18 to 20 minutes. cool in pans for 5 minutes.
• 7 remove from pans and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before topping.
• 8 mist a teaspoon with vegetable oil spray and use this to press down on the cupcake to create an indentation. place a heaping teaspoon of cherry pie filling in the well of each cupcake. dust with powdered sugar.
• 9 store in the refrigerator.