Black Bottom Cupcakes

From the book The All-New, All-Purpose Joy of Cooking by Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Irma S. Rombauer

Yield

16 cupcakes

Introduction

This children’s classic is very easy to make; its moist topping of cream cheese essentially functions as frosting.

Ingredients

Filling

	8	oz. cream cheese, softened
	⅓	cup sugar
	1	large egg
	1	cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcakes

	1½	cups all-purpose flour
	1	cup sugar
	¼	cup unsweetened non-alkalized baking cocoa
	1	tsp. baking soda
	½	tsp. salt
	1	cup water
	⅓	cup vegetable oil, such as canola
	1	Tbsp. white vinegar
	1	tsp. vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease (or line with paper baking cups) two muffin trays.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add the water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla; stir just until smooth.
4. Fill the muffin cups about half full with the cake batter, then dollop each with a heaping tablespoon of the cream-cheese mixture.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cakey part of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving.

Notes

For vegan chocolate cupcakes, simply bake the cake batter alone and dust the resulting cupcakes with powdered sugar.

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