Baking Recipes,  Cupcakes & Muffins,  David Lebovitz,  The Breakfast Bin,  Timeless Treats

This Black Bottom Cupcakes Recipe is pretty close to my heart

It annoys me whenever I have to be MIA from the blog for a long period of time, but I’ve been getting attacked by these headaches lately that I think is caused by tired eyes. That means less time on the computer, but I’ve been working on the blog behind the scenes. Even though I actually feel iffy about not posting anything since early last week, I just wasn’t feeling up for it. Until yesterday.

I baked one of my favourite pick me up’s yesterday morning and I thought it would be nice to pop in real quick and talk about it today. You know what Maria always says in The Sound Of Music? ‘I simply remember my favourite things, and then I don’t feel soooo baaaaad!’ Cheesy as it sounds it’s kind of true. This is one of my favourite super easy treats, and it sure put a smile on my face when I baked it!

And yet you can kind of tell I was feeling a bit uninspired by how my photos came out. Not my best for sure… I really have to shake whatever this is off! 😐

Anyway! Chocolate cakes? Definitely a favourite! But if you, like me, are just looking for a good chocolate cake fix but are too lazy to go through the extra stages of making frosting and piping it on, I’ve got you covered. Going for a Black Bottom Cupcakes Recipe is one of the best ways to easily dress up a chocolate cake.

That white blob on top is one of the reasons why I love Black Bottom Cupcakes so much. It’s actually cream cheese that’s been mixed with sugar and an egg to help it bake into something akin to a custardy topping. And of course it makes such a great combination with chocolate (what isn’t?!) that it just turns this from a normal chocolate cupcake to something more special!

This recipe is from one of my favourite pastry chefs of all time, and let me tell you, all the recipes I’ve ever made from his books come out amazing. Come to think of it, I’ve made this David Lebovitz recipe plenty of times but I’m not quite sure why I haven’t talked about it on the blog before. Moist, more chocolatey than sweet; these cupcakes are perfect. I can’t sing any more praises.

And the thing you will love about this, apart from the taste, is how incredibly easy this is. It’s a deadly combination of a satisfying treat, plus super simple steps. It’s just sublime in its simplicity!

Black Bottom Cupcakes

A simple chocolatey cake with a savoury cream cheese custard-type topping. Definitely something that should be included in everyone's repertoire!

Makes 12 to 15 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

For the cupcakes

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cocoa powder, natural is preferred
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the filling

  • 1. Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes

  • 2. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Butter or line a 12-cup muffin tin, plus more as needed.
  • 3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the brown sugar.
  • 4. In a separate measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
  • 5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, stirring just until smooth. It's okay if the batter has some lumps as long as you don't overmix so cupcakes will have the best texture.
  • 6. Divide the batter among the muffin cups up to around 3/4 all the way up. Spoon in a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese filling right into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely.
  • 7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. You can also poke a toothpick or tester through the chocolate portion of the cupcakes to check for doneness.

Notes

These cupcakes will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container, but I highly recommend popping them in the fridge and eating them cold. Yum!
Adapted from The Great Book of Chocolate by David Lebovitz (via Smitten Kitchen)
I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t been smitten by the cupcakes this recipe produces. It’s perfect if you’re hankering for that hit of chocolate minus the sugar overload. And like I mentioned above, I prefer eating these cold.

Make this tomorrow morning and eat with your first cup o’ joe! (And you’ll want to bring some more to work or school, because they’re that good!)

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