Black-Bottom Cupcakes

If you’re a fan of chocolate, and cheesecake, then you’re really going to love black-bottom cupcakes. They’re a riff on the idea of black-bottom pie, a Southern favorite with a chocolate base hiding beneath a fluffy white topping.

This isn’t the only “black bottom” dessert you’ll find here. Black-bottom brandy bites are a dainty upgrade on the original pie, and black-bottom banana bars are a fine snack or dessert. But these cupcakes dial up the chocolate while making the filling richer, and that can only be a good thing.

Ingredients for Black-Bottom Cupcakes

• Cream cheese: Cream cheese provides the base for a rich, white topping to complement the “black bottom.”
• Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cream cheese filling, provides sweetness and structure in the cupcake batter, and also acts as a topping for the cupcakes.
• Eggs: Eggs act as a binder in the cream cheese filling, and as a binder and emulsifier in the cupcake portion.
• Chocolate chips: The chocolate chips bring a pleasant, complementary pop of chocolate flavor to the rich filling.
• Oil: Cupcakes need some form of fat to give their crumb moisture and richness. Unsaturated vegetable oil is a healthy, easy alternative to butter, margarine or shortening.
• White vinegar: The white vinegar in this recipe primarily helps leaven the cupcakes, by interacting with the baking soda. As a side benefit, it also adds a tang that complements the chocolate and cream cheese.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds depth and complexity to many desserts. Here, it plays a supporting role behind the chocolate.
• Flour: All-purpose flour gives the cupcake portion of the recipe most of its structure and crumb.
• Baking cocoa: Cocoa gives the cupcake batter its darkness and chocolate flavor.
• Baking soda: Baking soda reacts with the vinegar’s acidity, providing the leavening power that makes the cupcakes light and delicate.
• Almonds (optional): The chopped almonds are an optional ingredient, but they’ll provide a pleasing garnish and a textural contrast, if you choose to use them.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the filling

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In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt until the mixture reaches a smooth, even consistency. Stir in the chocolate chips, then set the filling aside.

Step 2: Mix the cupcake batter

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In a large bowl, beat the sugar, water, oil, egg, vinegar and vanilla until they’re well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, then gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.

Step 3: Fill the pans

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 24 paper liners into muffin pans, and fill them halfway with the chocolate batter. Drop a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each cupcake. Sprinkle sugar on top, plus the chopped almonds, if you’re using them.

Step 4: Bake the cupcakes

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Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them to wire racks to cool completely.

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Black-Bottom Cupcake Variations

• Use your favorite chocolate cake recipe: The black-bottom cupcake recipe given here makes a wonderful cupcake, but it’s not the only road to black-bottomed bliss. If you already have a chocolate cake recipe you love, go ahead and use that instead. If you don’t already have a favorite, well… we have dozens for you to try.
• Elevate your filling with mascarpone: Cream cheese is inexpensive and readily available, and it works perfectly well in recipes like this one. If you’re not a fan of its texture, swapping it for mascarpone is a nice upgrade. The creamy Italian cheese has a more delicate flavor that elevates many mascarpone dessert recipes. For bonus points, use a high-quality vanilla paste or extract in the filling as well.
• Liven up the cupcake flavors: The basic chocolate batter that makes the cupcakes’ “black bottom” is already very good. That said, you can definitely dial it up a notch with some well-chosen additions. You can never go wrong adding espresso powder to a chocolate cupcake, for example. Rum or brandy extract will add a definite “something,” and so will orange zest or orange extract. For adults-only versions, real rum, brandy, bourbon, cream liqueur or orange liqueur are also possibilities.

How to Store Black-Bottom Cupcakes

The cream cheese filling makes black-bottom cupcakes perishable, so they need to be refrigerated once they cool. Keeping them in a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid will keep them from drying out.

How long will black-bottom cupcakes last?

Like cheesecakes, or bar cookies with cream-cheese filling, it’s best to plan on eating up your cupcakes within a few days.

Can I freeze black-bottom cupcakes?

Yes, you can. In fact, the absence of frosting makes them easier to wrap and less fussy to thaw. Your best bet is to remove the cupcake papers and freeze the cupcakes on a sheet pan. Once they’re frozen, wrap them individually and then pack them into freezer bags or containers. They’ll keep for one to three months this way, depending on how well they’re packaged.

Black-Bottom Cupcake Tips

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Can I use a box cake mix instead of making the batter from scratch?

You bet! Most box mixes yield 24 cupcakes, so that’s just the right amount of batter. We have lots of tricks to make boxed cake mix taste homemade, so nobody needs to know.

Does it make a difference what kind of cream cheese I use?

Maybe? Our Test Kitchen finds some observable differences between cream cheese brands. You may find that some offer a flavor or texture you prefer. It’s never a bad idea to spring for a better brand, budget permitting. Don’t worry about the leftover portion going to waste—we know a lot of ways to use up a package of cream cheese.

Do I need to use paper muffin cups?

They’re not strictly necessary, but they sure are convenient. If not, you’ll need to grease the cups of the muffin pan pretty carefully. It’s hard to get the corners properly, where the bottom meets the sides, and your cupcakes may stick. Consider using a baking spray, which incorporates flour (ordinary nonstick cooking spray won’t cut it). Alternatively, you can grease and flour the pan’s cups, much the same way you would grease a Bundt pan the right way.