Black Bottom Cupcakes

Countdown to Valentine's Day. It's time for all things chocolate here at The Cookie Scoop. Hoping to inspire you to create something wonderfully chocolatey for Valentine's Day, I've decided to bring you chocolate recipes the rest of this week. That's it...I've made up my mind.

And first up...Black Bottom Cupcakes. These little gems have a sweetened cream cheese and chocolate chip center surrounded with a rich chocolate cupcake. And there's no need to drag out the big standing mixer. These are easy to make with a hand held mixer. My recipe has one more addition I didn't find with any others, which is a sugar and nut topping. With or without the topping, these are great, and so easy to transport...no mile high fluffy frosting to worry about!

First combine the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.

Sift together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 tsp. salt into a medium bowl.

Set that aside for a minute.

Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl til smooth, add the egg, 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt.

Then stir in the chocolate chips.

Now add the oil mixture to the cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed til well blended, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups, filling about halfway.

Then scoop a large teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate batter.

They next need the topping.

Mix the 2 tbsp. of sugar with the 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and sprinkle on top of each.

Bake for approx. 35 minutes or til a toothpick comes out clean.

Black Bottom Cupcakes ( from Farm Journal's Complete Home Baking Book, 1979 Edition)


Makes 18 cupcakes

Filling:

6 ozs. cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

6 ozs. semisweet chocolate chips

Cake:

1 1/2 cups sifted AP flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch processed)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil ( I used canola)

1 tbsp. vinegar ( I used white vinegar)

1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:

2 tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

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Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a small bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Mix well and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside a minute.

3. Beat the cream cheese til smooth,then add in the egg, 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/8 tsp. salt.

Beat til blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Add the oil mixture to the cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed til well blended, scraping sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula.

5. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, filling halfway.

6. Then spoon a heaping teaspoonful of cream cheese filling into the center of the chocolate batter.

7. Mix the sugar and walnuts together in a small bowl, then sprinkle the tops of each cupcake.
8. Bake for 35 minutes, or til a toothpuck inserted comes out clean.

Remove from pan as soon as you can handle them, then cool on wire rack.