I didn’t know that if you left Miami or Cuban culture most people are not familiar with the taste of guava. This makes me say whaaaaat!? People are seriously missing out. I feel like I need to tell the world about one of my favorite flavors in the world. It’s sweet, it’s tangy, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. I can’t imagine being without it. Or, never knowing about it.

But even though guava is fantastic by itself, it’s even better with it’s docile side-kick, cream cheese. Cream cheese mellows out guava’s spunkiness. It’s the perfect accompaniment and creates one of the best flavor combinations out there. This marriage is usually found inside of a tasty pastry, but I thought making it into something else would be more interesting: a moist, yellow cupcake with a guava surprise filling topped with a guava infused cream cheese frosting. I cannot contain myself. Make. this. ahora. mismo.

Guava and Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes 12 cupcakes

Notes: I like the Conchita brand of guava marmalade. I dont like using guava jelly here because I dont believe it has the same concentrated flavor as marmalade.

Ingredients

For Yellow Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)

1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg , room temperature

2 large egg yolks , room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup guava marmalade, to fill cupcakes

For Guava and Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 oz butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup guava marmalade

Directions

Make Cupcakes

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin using 2-ounce ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Use skewer or paring knife to lift cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

Make Frosting and Assemble Cupcakes

With an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, a little bit at a time, until combined. Add the guava marmalade.

With a small spoon, scoop out some of the cupcake and make an inward dome (essentially, a hole) in the top of the cupcake so the guava filling can fit inside of it. Scoop about a tablespoon of the marmalade and fit inside of dome.

Pipe or spread frosting on top of cupcakes.