Black-Bottom Cupcakes! (Easy, delicious.)

I was given this recipe and it is not only extremely easy, the results are absolutely delicious.

BLACK-BOTTOM CUPCAKES

Prep: 10 minutes or so Bake: 25 - 30 minutes
Oven: 350°


Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional -- this made it super sweet, I'd go with a 1/2 to 3/4 cup next time.)

Cupcakes:

1.5 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa (unsweetened)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg and salt. Mix well. If you want it sweeter, fold in the chocolate chips (twirl your wrist while stirring them in, "folding" the chips in smooth and unhurried gestures over and under). This made it suuuper chocolatey and sweet, but I love the thick and surprising flavor of the cream cheese, so if you want the cream cheese filling to stand on its own more, then lower the chips you add accordingly.

2. For the cupcakes, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together or even just tossing them until they are blended with your fingertips is fine. Add the water, vegetable oil, white vinegar and vanilla extract. Mix well. Interesting note here: when buying vanilla extract, spring for the real stuff. The fake stuff can actually be bad for you.

3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half-full with batter. Top each with about 2 tablespoons of your cream cheese filling.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the non-cream cheese area of the cupcake comes out clean, as the cream cheese part will always stick to the toothpick thus not being a good indicator of when the cupcakes are done. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes and placing on wire cooling racks. Now, the center where the cream cheese is will sink into the muffin some and this is completely normal and a-okay.

Makes about 18 cupcakes at optimum yield.