I have lamented before that I don’t often bake cupcakes. In fact, I don’t really make many things that require frosting. I can usually persuade Quinn to do any frosting that’s needed, because apparently he enjoys that kind of thing. I do like to be self-sufficient, however, so I tend to seek out recipes that don’t require frosting.
I was recently looking through my copy of Buttercup Bakes at Home looking for a specific recipe when I saw this recipe for an un-frosted cupcake. Besides the lack of frosting, these cupcakes have a couple of really good things going for them: chocolate and cream cheese. Those are two things I can rarely resist.
I like these so much. A simple statement, but I can’t think of a better way to say it. To be more specific, the chocolate cake part of these cupcakes is excellent. Very rich, with a wonderful texture. The cream cheese filling/topping is just divine. It’s truly amazing how so few ingredients can make something so very good.
I would like to emphasize the use of the miniature chocolate chips for these cupcakes. The size of the mini chips is just perfect for these. Larger ones just wouldn’t work as well. Although, if you’re in a pinch, use whatever size chocolate chips you have on hand. You just have to make these.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup plus 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
- 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Beat cream cheese, egg, and 1/3 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center, and add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix just until blended.
Fill each muffin cup one-third full with the chocolate batter. Top with a spoonful of cream cheese mixture, until cups are about two-thirds full. Bake 22 to 28 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when touched.
Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Buttercup Bakes at Home.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Buttercup Bakes at Home is one of my favorite cookbooks. I haven’t made these yet but they look delicious! (My favorite are her chocolate peanut butter crispy rice bars!)
March 14th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
I am not a big cupcake person. They seem cute on paper but often fail to live up to expectations. But these look really delicious. Cream cheese can’t hurt anything, right?
March 15th, 2008 at 4:09 am
Oh my… these look so good and moist. I have looked at Buttercup Bakes at the book store many times but I never bought it. Now this is making me go back and get it!
March 15th, 2008 at 4:58 am
These look amazing; what a gorgeous texture. Cream cheese & chocolate are always fantastic!
March 15th, 2008 at 11:18 am
These look awesome! Of course anything with chocolate is going to get my full attention! And cream cheese is just an added bonus.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
They look wonderful! I could easily eat a whole batch by myself!
March 15th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I love the pic taken from up above. Very pretty
March 15th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
I love these. We always called them black bottoms.
March 16th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Those look amazing! I have been having such a cupcake obsession lately, and this really isn’t helping!!
March 16th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Thanks, everyone! With the exception of just a few, I took all of these to work where everyone just seemed to love them. I’m thinking of making them again for a simple Easter dessert.
March 16th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Jennifer, are the mini chocolate chips semi or milk chocolate?
March 16th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Oh, I love these as well! They are one of my favorites and have become a recipe that my friends and family always request. I have always known them to be called Black Bottom Cupcakes, however.
March 16th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Cindy, I used semisweet chocolate chips. Those are usually my preference over milk chocolate.
Mandy, aren’t they the best? The Buttercup book also references them as Black Bottom Cupcakes. Whatever you call them, they’re delicious!
March 16th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
There is nothing like a chocolate and creamcheese fix and the addition of little mini chocolate chips sounds perfect! Very cute.
March 17th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I often prefer the actual cupcake to the icing, and since this recipe also combines 2 of my favorite flavors (chocolate and cream cheese,) it sounds perfect to me. I’ll be trying it soon!
March 17th, 2008 at 10:27 am
What a nice twist on cupcakes, Jen.
March 17th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Shandy, Sandie, and Patricia – thanks very much!
March 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I made another recipe for Black and White cupcakes recently. These look much better!!! The ones I made were just…okay.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Mmmm! These are my favorite!! My grandma has always made them and I dubbed them “cuppeecakes” when I was little, so that’s what our family calls them. Such a treat!: )
March 18th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
What a great recipe for a cupcake sans the frosting. It’s the perfect naked cupcake!
March 18th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Thanks, Tiffany, Maxine, & Gigi! I still remember these fondly.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
those look intensely delicious — i want one as an afternoon snack! i will look around for that cookbook…
March 19th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Katy, there are many good recipes in this book. Definitely worth picking up.
March 20th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I made them last week for my office. But as I usually do-I over-filled them and ended up making a 2nd batch. They had the most intense choclate flavor! The office loved them.
March 20th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I’m glad they were a hit, Debbie!
March 23rd, 2008 at 10:22 am
Oh they’re simply gorgeous!
March 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Thanks, TBC! I made these again for our Easter lunch, and they were just as good as I remembered.
March 25th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
These are great cupcakes! Normally, we don’t get but one shot at sampling your desserts, so thanks for making them again at Easter! These were really good. In fact, we are still enjoying the ones you left here. This is just the right amount of chocolate for a snack!
March 26th, 2008 at 10:49 am
these look AMAZING! they’ve been on my to-bake list since i 1st saw them.
yum!
March 26th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Glad you liked them, Nan & Jim.
Thanks, Amy! Let me know what you think if you try them.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:36 am
I’m going to make these this weekend! thanks for sharing.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
My mother has been making these since I was little and they are still a favorite. I don’t know if the recipe is exactly the same or where she got the recipe but they are so good. I love that you made them because no one I know has ever heard of them before! Love the website too!
March 28th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Carmen, I hope you like them!
Thanks, Erika!
March 29th, 2008 at 4:20 am
The last time I made this; the cupcakes were overflown. Yours look yummy and are to be drooled for!
March 29th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Thanks, Michelle! I’m sure yours were still delicious. Definitely one of my favorite cupcakes.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I just made these delicious cupcakes for my mom (they’re her favorite kind of cupcake) and she was thrilled! Thanks so much.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Glad she liked them, Tara!
April 28th, 2008 at 11:14 am
These look delicious. Although I haven’t tried the cream cheese part (note to self!!), I have made the chocolate cupcake portion of the recipe before, and it is my favorite!
April 28th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Thanks, Chris. I’m sure just the chocolate portion is wonderful on its own.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:33 am
These look amazing! Aren’t you going to post the recipe?? (Or maybe you could email it my way…?)
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:25 am
Justin, there’s a link to the recipe at the top of the post under the title. Here’s another: Black and White Cupcakes.
March 4th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Hey Jennifer! These look delicious and I really want to try them soon.
One question, however. You say the water must be hot. How hot exactly? Just lukewarm or blazing hot?
March 4th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Mel, the water just needs to be warm. Lukewarm is fine. Enjoy!
September 8th, 2011 at 5:33 am
I bakes them yesterday because I am a big fan of chocolate and cream cheese
They look really pretty, but when ate one yesterday I was not entirely convinced by the combination of chocolate and cream cheese.
But when I ate another one today, they were delicious! So I would recommend to let them rest for a day, so they actually taste as good as they look
March 19th, 2013 at 12:39 am
Crazy – I have this classic recipe from the Best of Bridge – they call them “Black Bottom Cupcakes.” Sooo delicious. A case of recipe plagiarism??
March 19th, 2013 at 10:21 am
Sara, someone else told me they’d been making this recipe for decades! It makes you wonder where it really originated.