1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a muffin tin* with cupcake paper liners* and set it aside.

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set it aside. Mix the sugar and butter in a large bowl for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined. Next, add the flour mixture to the bowl in 2-3 batches, alternating with the milk, and mix until well combined. Transfer the batter to the paper liners and fill them only halfway up, or they will overflow later on when baked.

3. For the cheesecake filling, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined. Use a spoon to make a small indentation in the batter in each cupcake paper liner and fill each with cream cheese mixture. Each indentation should hold about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake the cupcakes for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool down on a wire rack.

4. Roughly chop the white chocolate for the buttercream and melt it slowly in a double boiler or in the microwave. Let cool down again.

5. For the buttercream, mix the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl on top of a pot with simmering water (the water should not touch the bowl) and mix until the egg whites are warm and the sugar has dissolved completely – this takes about 3-5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer it to a food processor. Mix on high until stiff peaks form. Next, add the butter in small pieces, continuing to mix everything until a thick buttercream forms. Finally, add the melted chocolate – it should be no more than lukewarm – and mix until you get a very creamy and shiny buttercream.

6. Lightly crush the raspberries for the topping and mix with the confectioners’ sugar. The mixture should not be too runny. If using frozen raspberries, allow them to thaw beforehand. Place a teaspoon of the raspberry mixture on each cupcake and then refrigerate them for about 30 minutes. Fill a piping bag with a star nozzle with the buttercream and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate with fresh raspberries as desired (optional).