Gluten Free Guava Cheesecake Cupcakes

These gorgeously-pink fairy tale cupcakes are 100% in existence because of a dear friend who, when asked what new cupcake flavors she’d like to see us make, gave us this winning combo: guava cheesecake. What’s not to love? Guava? fantastic. Cheesecake? also fantastic. Cupcakes? awesome. Guava has a light flavor that seems to wrap itself around the cheesecake swirl in a dreamy summer flourish, making us wish we weren’t stuck in smoky San Francisco and instead out somewhere more-frequently sunny and preferably with a swimmable body of water. Thanks Clarissa for championing these incredible cupcakes that are a new favorite. And if you’re lamenting not being able to make these because you don’t have a store that stocks fresh guava or guava puree – the internet is your best friend! We actually found guava puree online and had it shipped in no time, making this a don’t-have-to-leave-your-house friendly recipe.

Another reason I love these cupcakes is that I used to always get fresh juice at one of the few cafes in downtown Puerto Ayora when I lived in the Galapagos one summer. Yes, for anyone wondering, the Galapagos Islands have people! Lots of them, actually! (well, not lots, somewhere around 36,000 at this point I’m guessing). The archipelago that is most well-known as the “cradle of evolution” and for it’s spectacularly bizarre mix of wildlife, fearless of humans (except for the flamingos who migrated to the islands “recently”), is also home to thousands of European and Ecuadorian folks – but no indigenous population. No one truly in their right mind first settled on the island – look up stories of the Europeans who, searching for an “Eden” after the first world war, decided a tiny string of islands with NO fresh water was the perfect place…or the penal colony set up in the 1800s that boasted a Muro de las Lagrimas (“Wall of Tears”). In the latter half of the 20th century, though, modern conveniences made their way to five of the main islands, along with thousands of Ecuadorians (the islands are a part of Ecuador) and additional Dutch and German immigrants. And now, they have some of the best sushi on the planet (I’m biased, but my friend Vinicio – the proud owner of now TWO sushi restaurants, one on Isla Santa Cruz and one on Isla San Cristóbal would also agree), and amazing juice.

Long story short, I lived on the islands for a few months, conducting environmental education research with some of the most patient 8th graders ever (most adults wouldn’t even want to sit through the 76 question survey I had…), school principals, and environmental NGO leaders in town. And nearly every day I’d stop at one of the cafes, across the street from Midori Galapagos (the sushi spot in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz) and get an amazing, tall, cool (it was hot) glass of freshly-blended juice. And one of the best combos was guava y coco mezclado (or mora y coco, or fresa y coco… basically any fruit plus the thick, sweet coconut smoothie they made fresh). It was AWESOME. And eating these cupcakes makes me homesick for the islands. So thank you, Clarissa, for the mems.

If you’re looking for other summery treats, check out our strawberry rhubarb cupcakes, or these lemon ricotta cupcakes, or this epic strawberry lemonade cake!

Print Recipe

Gluten Free Guava Cheesecake Cupcakes

These are packed with gorgeous guava and cheesecake filling, topped with dreamy guava cream cheese buttercream

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Chilling time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: cheesecake, cream cheese, cream cheese frosting, cupcakes, gluten free, guava, guava cheesecake

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• Cupcake pans
• Electric mixer
• Small saucepan

Ingredients

For the guava pudding (used in the buttercream):

• 1 Cup guava puree
• 3/4 Cup heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 Cup corn starch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 Cup canola oil
• 3/4 Cup sour cream
• 1 Cup guava puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum (if your mix does not contain xanthan gum add 1 tsp now)
• 1 Cup packed blanched almond flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pink food coloring optional

For the cheesecake swirl (to go in the cupcakes):

• 1 Cup cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/4 Cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream:

• 1 1/2 Cups cooled guava pudding instructions below
• 1 Cup salted butter room temperature
• 1 Cup cream cheese
• 1/2 Cup shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4-5 Cups powdered sugar sifted
• pink food coloring optional

Instructions

• First, make your guava pudding. In a small saucepan, combine the guava puree and heavy cream and simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes. Separately, in a medium bowl, combine the sugar, corn starch, eggs, and salt and whisk to combine. Once the guava is hot, scoop 1/4 cup of the hot mixture and whisk it quickly into the bowl with the egg mixture (to temper the eggs). Then, stirring constantly, slowly add the egg mixture into the simmering guava pot and continue to stir until thicker and bubbling (about 3-4 minutes). Once it's thicker, remove the pot from the heat and add the butter and vanilla and continue to stir until silky and smooth. Pour into a container and refrigerate for about 2 hours or until set and completely cool (this can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week).
• Then, make your cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line two 12-cupcake pans with paper cupcake cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry cupcake ingredients (flour, almond flour/meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt), then set aside. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, sour cream, guava puree, sugar, vanilla) until combined. Pour the whisked dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir together until smooth. Add a small amount of pink food coloring if you want and stir to combine. Spoon a tablespoon of the cupcake batter into each of the cupcake cups and save the remaining batter.
• Then, make your cheesecake swirl. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then add the egg, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until creamy – 1-2 minutes. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the cheesecake mixture on top of the batter in the cupcake cups, then spoon in the remaining batter to cover the cheesecake. You can swirl the cheesecake filling a bit if you want with the batter. Bake cupcakes for 25-28 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
• While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat your room temperature butter, shortening, and cream cheese for 4-5 minutes until creamy and lighter. Add 2 cups of the sifted powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and the cooled guava pudding and continue to beat until creamy. Continue adding more of the powdered sugar until combined, then add pink food coloring (optional) and beat to combine. Scoop buttercream into a pastry bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes, then serve!

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your cupcakes!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber