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Cupcakes: Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Source of Recipe

From "Back Around the Table" by David Venable


Recipe Introduction

"When I was in college and needed a study break, I walked to a convenience store near my UNC/Chapel Hill dorm, and treated myself to a couple of chocolate cupcakes with cream filling and two mini cartons of milk. That memory inspired this recipe—rich chocolate cupcakes with a dollop of cream cheese batter on top. The cream cheese makes them extra-rich so there's no need for frosting. When I eat these, i feel like I'm taking a study break all over again, but now I don't have to worry about any exams."

List of Ingredients

Cream Cheese Mixture:
â—¦ 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 tablespoon sour cream
â—¦ â…“ cup sugar
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ â…“ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Batter:
â—¦ â…“ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon table salt
â—¦ 1 cup sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
â—¦ ¾ cup water
â—¦ â…“ cup sour cream
â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 18 standard or 12 jumbo muffin cups with foil cupcake liners.

To make the cream cheese mixture:
Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and egg in the bowl of a standing mixer until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in the mini chips.

To make the batter:
Whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the vanilla, water, sour cream, and melted butter. Using a fork, blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Fill the muffin cups one-third full with the chocolate batter.
Drop a heaping tablespoon cream cheese mixture on top of the chocolate batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the chocolate part of the cupcake comes out clean. Turn the cupcakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Makes 18