Amaretto Cheesecake Cupcakes

The first time Mamma tasted cheesecake was at The Cheesecake Factory, sometime around 1999 or 2000. She didn’t like it at all. It was dry, heavy, and strangely lacking in flavor. We tried cheesecake at other places over the years, hoping for a better experience, but the result was always the same — dry.

(As you both now know, cheesecake only gets drier the longer it sits.)

Cheesecake quietly became something we avoided, both at home and when dining out.

Around that time, we loved watching Good Eats. Alton Brown made cooking feel like science and magic at the same time, and Shirley Corriher’s appearances were unforgettable — warm, enthusiastic, and endlessly joyful. In January 2002, we watched the cheesecake episode, and I decided we would try again, this time in our own kitchen.

I even bought a KitchenAid 12-cup food processor specifically for this mission — a slightly extravagant purchase justified entirely by dessert. The machine had its quirks (as it still does), but that day it did exactly what was required of it.

That same New Year, Mamma gifted me Shirley Corriher’s CookWise. And there it was — the Amaretto Cheesecake on page 222.

We followed the recipe exactly, baked it in an 8 × 3-inch pan, and waited.

It came out perfect.

Satiny. Smooth. No cracks. And most importantly — not dry.

For the first time, we loved cheesecake.

Over the years, it became a family ritual. Birthdays required cheesecake. Celebrations suggested cheesecake. Resistance was futile. Eventually, you both declared it your favorite dessert.

Then came two practical realities.

First: “Some friends don’t like cheesecake.”

Second: full cheesecakes are dangerous — because we always cut slices that are far larger than intended.

So I adapted the recipe into cupcakes. Smaller portions, no waste, and somehow even more enjoyable. Those who love cheesecake get exactly the right amount; those who don’t can politely decline without sacrificing an entire cake.

This version has stayed with us ever since.

Equipment

Measuring scale
Food processor with steel blade (or mixer with paddle / handheld mixer)
Medium bowl
Spatula
Cupcake pans (standard 12-cup)
Cupcake liners
Baking sheet

Crust

86 g crumbs (graham crackers / digestive biscuits / Marie / Biscoff)
38 g sugar (3 T)
42 g butter, melted (3 T)
1.25 g cardamom, optional (¼ t)

Mix and press 7 g (1 T) into each lined cavity. Chill while preparing filling.

Filling

454 g full-fat cream cheese
200 g sugar (1 c)
150 g eggs (~3 large)
8 g vanilla (2 t)
2 g kosher salt (¼ t)
60 g amaretto (¼ c)
726 g full-fat sour cream (3 c)

Process cream cheese until completely smooth. Add sugar, then eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla, salt, and amaretto. Mix in sour cream until uniform.

Portion ~60 g per cupcake.

Bake at 350°F / 177°C for ~12 minutes.

Cool 15 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

Serve cold. Optional: white chocolate icing.