Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

In a medium saucepan, melt the cream cheese, unsalted butter, and whole milk over low heat, stirring until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and optional lemon juice until pale and creamy, then add the cooled cream cheese mixture.

Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolk batter and stir gently until combined.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold a third of the whipped egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full with the batter.

Bake for 20–25 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving.