Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

You might know these as black bottom cupcakes, and one bite explains the love. A dark, eggless chocolate cake forms the base while a tangy cream cheese topping studded with chocolate chips bakes right into the center, like a mini cheesecake riding on a brownie.

The batter is an old-school trick: no eggs, no butter, just oil, water, and a splash of vinegar that reacts with the baking soda for lift. That reaction is what keeps the chocolate crumb so reliably moist and tender, and you never taste the vinegar.

The filling does double duty as the topping, which is why there is no frosting to fuss with. Fill the cupcake liners only halfway, then drop a heaping spoonful of cream cheese filling on top. As they bake, the chocolate batter puffs up around the cheesecake center, setting it into that signature two-tone look.

Pro Tips

• Do not overfill the liners. The batter rises around the filling, so halfway is plenty.
• Bake just until the cream cheese top is set and no longer wet. Overbaking dries out the chocolate base.
• Let them cool fully before peeling the liners so the soft cheesecake center firms up.

Variations

• Stir mini chocolate chips into the batter as well as the filling for extra melty pockets.
• Add a little lemon zest to the cream cheese filling for a brighter tang.
• Swap white chocolate chips into the filling for a sweeter contrast.