Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
The Great Book of Chocolate, David Lebovitz

For the Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the Cupcakes:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C firmly packed light brown sugar
5 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C water
/3 C vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To Make the Filling:

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

To Make the Cupcakes:

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.

Yield: 12 full-size cupcakes. The cupcake will keep nicely unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

* I only used 1 heaping Tbsp of the filling for each cupcake.