Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

These cupcakes are so delicious they don't even need frosting!

They would actually be the perfect treat for hubby if it wasn't for the cream cheese filling (he isn't a huge fan of frosting either). So since he wouldn't even take a bite of one,  I valiantly undertook the task of eating the leftovers all by myself. I really am a martyr.

To make these delicious bites of heaven, you first make up the filling, and then the chocolate cake batter using a mixer.

I'm assuming you can guess which is the filling and which is the cupcake batter...

Then you fill your cupcake liners with the chocolate batter first, about 2/3 full. After that you add about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. I added 1 level tablespoon of filling to each cupcake, and probably could have gone with a little more in each (I had filling leftover). 

I completely forgot to take a before picture of my regular-sized cupcakes, but I made mini ones (shocking, I know) and here's the picture of them:

For the mini cupcakes, I added 2 teaspoons of batter and about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cream cheese mixture. Bake for 20- 25 minutes (about 15 - 18 minutes for the smaller ones). After they're done, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then cool them completely on a wire rack. They definitely taste better after refrigerating, when the cream cheese filling is nice and cold.

As I put the last pan in the oven, I got to thinking that it would be interesting to try to make shapes out of the cream cheese mixture (although probably difficult) to make designs on top of the cupcakes, but it was too late; everything was already baking away. Luckily, my subconscious must have been on my side because when I pulled them out of the oven look what I found!

 

A little heart shape! So cute!

And so yummy! I decided to bring them into work the next day for a (healthy) breakfast.... there were definitely no complaints!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Makes 30 cupcakes

{recipe slightly adapted  from The Capitol Baker}

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the cupcake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. Prepare filling by beating cream cheese, sugar, egg, and salt in bowl until smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Prepare the cupcake batter separately by whisking the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla, and beat on low speed for about 3 minutes. 
4. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter. Spoon 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each cupcake.
5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate once cool.