black-bottom cupcakes

It's Thanksgiving Eve! I don't really get into the holidays that much. I mean, really, Thanksgiving to me is just another meal -- but one that I'll be eating leftovers from for the next two weeks. And, yeah, it's a fun time to hang out with family and watch football. But not when your family is scattered in Indiana and you currently reside in TN and have a retail job making in nearly impossible to travel around the time of Black Friday. So I'll be celebrating, here, in good 'ol Nashville, TN with friends. I think I'm even going to attempt to bake. Chocolate cupcakes with a cheesecake filling and a layered bean dip, perhaps? Sometime last year, I found the recipe for these amazing cupcakes and have made more than a few batches since then. And they're always a hit.



Yield: 12 full-size or approximately 30 mini cupcakes

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, 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 unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes:
1. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.
2. 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.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes.
4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely,** which is fine.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These moist treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

*Personally, I think they're much tastier cold so I always refrigerate before sharing/eating!

Credit for recipe/photo here.