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5 / 5 votes

Black Bottom Cupcakes

David Lebovitz's black bottom cupcakes are the ultimate kid-friendly yet adult-minded dessert. Devil's food chocolate cupcakes filled with a cheesecake-y surprise and then topped any way you please. Naked, ganache, or buttercream? Up to you.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 304

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 8 ounces regular or reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup mild vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the filling

  • In a large bowl with a stand or electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

Make the cupcakes

  • Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and adjust the rack to the center of the oven. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line the tin with paper muffin cups.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring just until smooth. Don't overmix or you'll end up with less-than-tender and actually quite tough cupcakes.
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream-cheese filling into the center of each cupcake. The cups will be almost completely filled.
  • Bake the cupcakes for 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 214mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g