Chocolate Chip Mini Cupcakes (Black Bottom Cupcakes)

I know the name may sound fancy but these cupcakes are known as black bottom cupcakes. The reason why I didn't title this recipe as "black bottom cupcakes" is because I have spent my life calling them chocolate chip mini cupcakes. It wasn't until I bought this cookbook two years ago, I came across the black bottom cupcake to discover it was very similar to my cream cheese cupcake with chocolate chip recipe.

These cupcakes are a favorite in my house! My mom use to make these when I was little and I would eat 4-5 at a time and sneak a few when no one was looking. The cream cheese is really what makes the cupcake. It is cream cheese but sweet like a cheesecake with extra bursts of sweetness from the mini chocolate chips. If you don't have mini chocolate chips, I highly suggest chopping chocolate or regular chocolate chips into smaller pieces. It is simply not the same. Also, you have to use mini muffin containers because the size it just the perfect mouthful. I tried using the regular cupcakes and it was too much!

One thing to keep in mind while making the cupcakes is you want to bake the cupcake batter as quickly as possible once you combine the wet and dry ingredients because the baking soda and vinegar react together to make the cupcakes fluffy and puffy. Yay, for simple science!

When I got interested in baking, this was one of the first things I learned to make and now I make it for my family. Somehow, I always manage to make them around the holidays. I guess it's a tradition now and hopefully you can start a new tradition in your household too! Cheers!




Chocolate Chip Mini Cupcakes
compliments of Y-U-M-M-Y

Ingredients
chocolate cupcake
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vinegar (apple vinegar is fine too)
1 teaspoon vanilla


Cream cheese filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-12 ounce package of mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven 350F.
For the cream cheese:
2. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt thoroughly. Add chocolate chips and set aside. If this mixture is going to sit out for awhile, store it in the refrigerator until you need it.

For the cupcake:
3. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt thoroughly.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients: water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
6. Line mini cupcake trays with holders and fill holders 1/3 full of cupcake batter. Add 1 tsp cream cheese mixture on top.
7. Bake for ~15 minute or until a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure you are checking for doneness on the cupcake portion, not the cream cheese portion of the cupcake!