Joy of Baking Black Bottom Cupcakes

I came across this recipe from Joy of Baking’s email update on Monday evening before leaving the office and immediately decided that I want to bake this at night.

 

 

 

This cupcake has creamy cheesecake as topping and rich (yet light as there is no butter, no egg) chocolate cake at the bottom. Hence, the name, Black Bottom Cupcake. By the way, the name for the chocolate cake is called Wacky Cake. What a wacky name, isn't it?

 

The recipe did not disappoint me, except that mine are not as pretty as those featured in Joy of Baking and my batter only yielded 9 instead of 12 cupcakes as mentioned in the recipes :).

  

 

The cheese topping is cheesy, creamy but not over rich. The black bottom is moist and rich yet not heavy. I will definitely use this recipe often from now on. It is good itself as a simple chocolate cupcake even if without the cheese topping.

 

I shared 4 of them with my colleagues in the office this morning and they liked them too. One of them even requested me to bake some for her kids. :) I told her why not? It is always a joy to bake for friends and family who enjoy my bakes.

 

 

 

Recipe for Black Bottom Cupcakes

 

(Adapted from Joy of Baking with minor adjustments) 

 

 

Ingredients

 

For Cream Cheese Filling:

• 200g cream cheese, room temperature
• 30g granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

 

For Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 195g all purpose flour
• 150g raw sugar
• 30g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) canola oil
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

Baking Steps

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C and line muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Cream Cheese Filling: With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until nice and smooth.
6. Fill the chocolate batter into the muffin cups (3/4 full). Then spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the cream cheese filling has set and when a toothpick come out clean after inserted into the chocolate part of the cupcake. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

This is my submission for Aspiring Bakers #6 "Say Cheese" (April 2011).