If you\u2019re a fan of chocolate, and cheesecake, then you\u2019re really going to love black-bottom cupcakes. They\u2019re a riff on the idea of black-bottom pie, a Southern favorite with a chocolate base hiding beneath a fluffy white topping.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t the only \u201cblack bottom\u201d dessert you\u2019ll find here. Black-bottom brandy bites<\/a> are a dainty upgrade on the original pie, and black-bottom banana bars<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, water, oil, egg, vinegar and vanilla until they\u2019re well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, then gradually beat the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.<\/p>\n
Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Like cheesecakes, or bar cookies with cream-cheese filling, it\u2019s best to plan on eating up your cupcakes within a few days.<\/p>\n
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\u2019re frozen, wrap them individually and then pack them into freezer bags or containers. They\u2019ll keep for one to three months this way, depending on how well they\u2019re packaged.<\/p>\n
You bet! Most box mixes yield 24 cupcakes, so that\u2019s just the right amount of batter. We have lots of tricks to make boxed cake mix taste homemade<\/a>, so nobody needs to know.<\/p>\n
Maybe? Our Test Kitchen finds some observable differences between cream cheese brands<\/a>. You may find that some offer a flavor or texture you prefer. It\u2019s never a bad idea to spring for a better brand, budget permitting. Don\u2019t worry about the leftover portion going to waste\u2014we know a lot of ways to use up a package of cream cheese<\/a>.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re not strictly necessary, but they sure are convenient. If not, you\u2019ll need to grease the cups of the muffin pan pretty carefully. It\u2019s 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\u2019t cut it). Alternatively, you can grease and flour the pan\u2019s cups, much the same way you would grease a Bundt pan the right way<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"