Mini Black Bottom Cupcakes

Dark chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese-chocolate chip filling. Each bite delivers equal parts cake and cheesecake. Now that's a cupcake worth talking about.

Truth is, I just discovered Black Bottom Cupcakes recently. At a recent cross country meet (while parents were waiting for their boys to run), my friend said, "Have you ever made Black Bottom Cupcakes?" I said, "No, but I will!!". He described the luscious cupcake as one of the best things on earth. I mean, you should have seen the glimmer in his eye. Moist cake, chocolate chip-cheesecake filling. He truly inspired me. While our boys were stressing about the race, I was stressing about creating the best Black Bottom Cupcake recipe ever.

So, I made the cupcakes for our next meet and made sure the first one went to my friend. His eyes lit up as he devoured the first one. And then the second (I made minis). His one piece of advice? Add more chocolate chips. Load 'em up, he advised. This from a guy who probably puts chocolate chips in his gravy. That said, if you want more chocolate chips, add them - in the cream cheese filling AND the chocolate cupcake batter if you want. I should note that the rest of the parents and kids liked them as is!

Let me know what you think!

Mini Black Bottom Cupcakes

For the cream cheese mixture: 
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 large egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
For the cupcake batter: 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 12-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners (or coat with cooking spray).
To make the cream cheese mixture, beat together the cream cheese, egg and sugar until blended and smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
To make the cupcake batter, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until blended.
Spoon the cupcake batter into the prepared pans, filling each 2/3 full. Top each one with a about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.
Bake for 10 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it.

Makes 36 cupcakes