The chocolate cupcake to end all cupcakes! The cream cheese center makes it incredibly moist. (Nothing worse than a dry cupcake, can I get an amen). These are the best Black Bottom cupcakes I’ve EVER had. You totally don’t need the frosting…but I mean come on, live a little. Originally posted August 7, 2015.
Table of Contents
- You’ll love this Black Bottom Cupcake Recipe
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes Ingredients
- How to make Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes
- Tips for Black Bottom Cupcakes
- Storing Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling
- Black Bottom Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
- More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Black Bottom Cupcake Recipe (Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes) Recipe
You know what is awesome? When all your friends read the Japanese tidying up book, and you don’t. I already told you about how my BFF came to visit me and spent her whole vacation organizing my pantry. Since then, I’ve had two more friends read the book and purge their closets. You know what this means? Free clothes for Karen.
I tried to explain a capsule wardrobe to my brother Nathan. “Basically it’s where you give away all of your clothes that you don’t wear, and just keep the things you really love.”
“You just described a man’s wardrobe.”
I think he’s right. Why do women complicate everything??
In other news, Charlotte was reading a book today when suddenly she looks up and says, “Mom, what do dinosaurs eat when there are not persons around?”
I told her they eat these cupcakes. (Although REALLY I should have told her what my brother tells his kids: that dinosaurs ate spinach, and if they want to be cool like dinosaurs, they better eat their salad.)
You’ll love this Black Bottom Cupcake Recipe
My sister-in-law Sandi gave me her mother’s recipe for these cupcakes after I was telling her once that all cupcakes are dry and not worth the calories. (Who’s with me??) But these cupcakes are SO GOOD. And not dry at all. It’s kind of impossible for them to be, because the center is made of molten cheesecake basically.
They are completely from scratch, but not hard at all. Usually I am all for the doctored cake mixes, but I thought this was pretty simple. These cupcakes are so rich that you really don’t need the frosting, but I included it because what’s a cupcake without a little bling?
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes Ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Cream cheese
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Mini chocolate chips
- Flour
- Baking cocoa (not hot chocolate powder!)
- Baking soda
- Oil
- Sour cream
- Vinegar
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Coconut extract (optional)
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional, for chocolate curls)
- Shortening (optional, for chocolate curls)
How to make Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes
Here’s a quick rundown of how to make these cupcakes. Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for the complete instructions before you actually get started!
- Beat together cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt.
- Fold in half of the mini chocolate chips; scrape the mixture into another bowl.
- Whisk sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in the empty bowl.
- Add the water, oil, sour cream, vinegar, and vanilla and beat until combined.
- Fold in the remaining mini chocolate chips.
- Line cupcake tin with paper liners and fill each one about halfway.
- Top the center of each cupcake with a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake and let cool on a wire rack.
- Make the frosting (optional): beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add the sugar, salt, and coconut extract and beat well. Pipe or spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes when they are cool.
- Make chocolate curls (optional): Add the chocolate chips and shortening to a small bowl. Microwave until the shortening is melted, then stir together until combined. Pour the mixture onto an upside-down baking sheet and spread thin with a spatula. Place the pan in the freezer for a few minutes, then use a metal spatula to scrape the chocolate off the pan. Sprinkle on top of the cupcakes and serve.
Tips for Black Bottom Cupcakes
If you are piping the frosting, throw your bag into a tall glass to give it structure while you spoon the frosting in. Here’s my recipe for How to make Cream Cheese Frosting. It’s super easy!
Storing Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling
You can keep black bottom cupcakes in a container in the fridge for up to a week. Since they have cream cheese filling, it’s best not to keep them on the counter.
Can you freeze Black Bottom Cupcakes?
Yes! Black bottom cupcakes actually freeze super well; just plan on frosting them AFTER they come out of the freezer. They can be defrosted on the counter if you’d like to serve them immediately or in the fridge for a few hours as you prefer.
Black Bottom Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
Moist ingredients make for moist cupcakes. A recipe for moist cupcakes will use fatty ingredients like oil or butter, eggs, and dairy products like milk, cream, sour cream, or yogurt. These black bottom cupcakes use oil AND sour cream, so the cake is nice and moist. Of course then we’re adding a delectable cream cheese filling. Even more moistness!!
If you’re following instructions when it comes to oven temperature and bake time, but you’re still ending up with burnt-bottom cupcakes, you can simply layer one muffin tin/cupcake tin inside the other. If you don’t have two muffin tins, then you can place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven, baking the cupcakes on the top rack.
More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes with Cherry Hearts << super decadent with a cheesecake
center. NO dry cupcakes here!
Homemade Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes << if you love the store bought version, these will totally blow you away!
Upside Down Almond Crunch Cupcakes << so moist and almondy with the perfect crunch.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Pecan Frosting << extra moist and flavorful thanks to the addition of browned butter!
Hummingbird Cupcakes from Cupcake Project
Piñata Cupcakes from Little Sunny Kitchen
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Black Bottom Cupcake Recipe (Cream Cheese Chocolate Cupcakes)
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 10 ounces mini chocolate chips, divided
For the cupcakes:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 & 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa, I used special dark
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, 1 stick, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- dash salt, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract, optional
For the chocolate curls (optional):
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon shortening
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Start by making the filling. In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Fold in 6 ounces of the mini chocolate chips. (A little more than half the bag, no need to measure). Scrape the mixture into another bowl.
- Add 1 cup sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt to the empty bowl (no need to wash). Whisk to combine. Then add the water, oil, sour cream, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Beat until combined, then fold in the remaining 4 ounces of mini chocolate chips.
- Line about 20 cupcake tins with paper liners. Fill each one about halfway with the cupcake batter.
- Top the center each cupcake with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. It’s okay if it sinks down a bit.
- Bake at 350 for about 19-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean. If you see any golden spots on the cheesecake filling, take it out right away.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add the sugar, salt, and coconut extract, if you’re using it. Beat well.
- Pipe or spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes when they are cool.
- If you want to make chocolate curls, add the chocolate chips and shortening to a small bowl. Microwave until the shortening is melted, then stir together until combined. Pour the mixture onto an upside-down baking sheet and spread thin with a spatula.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 4-5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to scrape the chocolate off the pan. Sprinkle on top of the cupcakes and serve.
Hi. I made these cupcakes and they are so tasty. I found that I couldn’t get the cupcake liner off them without the sides and bottoms of the cupcakes coming apart. Any suggestions that might help next time?
Hi Candice! Glad you loved the cupcakes. Sometimes cheaper cupcake liners stick more; if you used high quality ones, it may be that the cupcakes were still too warm (they need to cool completely). These are fairly delicate cupcakes, so using higher quality liners and waiting to remove the wrappers until they’re totally cool should help (you can also pop them in the fridge to help the wrapper release from the cupcakes). Hope this helps!
Can you make white cupcakes from your white cake it’s the best I ever ate
Hi Ken! Yes you can, don’t fill them too much! Like 2/3 of the way.
May I freeze these or how long will they last in the frig…if I don’t eat them😂
Hi Cheryl! Yes in general you can freeze cupcakes. I would freeze before frosting. Store the cupcakes in a ziplock back with the air pushed out. Let thaw on the counter with the bag sealed. They will last in the fridge for about 2-3 days before getting dried out! Enjoy!
I love all of your recipes, but can any of the ingredients like the cupcakes be substituted with almond flour and swerve instead of regular? Trying to eliminate those two ingredients in my diet!!
Hi Debbie! I wouldn’t know, I’m so sorry. Those are two pretty significant changes so I can’t guarantee results. Let me know how it goes!
Why have I not made these yet? “It’s a cupcake, not a salad” is definitely my new baking motto.
Made these for a gal I work with, Oh man oh man oh man…gooooood stuff those cream cheese chocolate cupcakes. Also, the liners you used would be perfect for my nieces 30th 1930’s Birthday party! (and of course these cupcakes will need to be made again) do you happen to remember where you purchased them?
Hey Donna! So glad you enjoyed them. And I’m so sorry, I have no idea where the cupcake liners came from! My mom bought them for me ages ago and I just now found a chance to use them. I think they may have been Wilton liners, you could poke around to see if you find something similar. Sounds like a fun party!!
The filling of these cupcakes is the best!