I’ve always thought one of the best lines in Pulp Fiction is wedged almost unnoticeably early on. Fabienne tells Butch that she wants a pot belly because she thinks they’re sexy on women (though, kind of hilarious, she thinks they make men look oafish). Butch disagrees, tells her she should be happy she doesn’t have one because guys don’t find it attractive. She snips back that she doesn’t give a damn what men like, before musing somewhat sadly that “It’s unfortunate what we find pleasing to the touch and pleasing to the eye is seldom the same.”
And I have to admit, if you swapped “touch” with “taste,” you’d have exactly what was going through my head this weekend as I made a quickie batch of David Lebovitz’s famed Black-Bottom Cupcakes from his Great Book of Chocolate. A spin on the classic devil’s food cake, each cupcake gets a dollop of cheesecake filling which is decked out with chopped bits of bittersweet chocolate before it’s baked into something almost too delicious for words. Since they lack frosting, they’re superbly easy to schlep from one place to another, and should you have time to zap them in the fridge, I think they’re a rare cupcake that actually tastes better cold. And seriously, chocolate and cheesecake? It is beyond my comprehension how everyone does not dream about this flavor contrast. I know we here in the SmitKitch certainly do.
But, and I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, my inner perfectionist hated them as I was completely unable to get them to look like the peanut butter cup-reminiscent photo. My dollops, they wouldn’t center. My cupcakes, they kept overflowing in the oven. In my attempt to make them into miniature cakes, my first eight had too much filling, and my last eight had none. My baking karma was stunningly off on Friday night, it seemed and I had a asterisked storm cloud over my head all the way until the opening credits of Knocked Up, which if you seriously don’t die laughing from the chairs-in-Vegas scene alone, I just don’t know if we can be friends anymore.
When we got home, my sides hurting from aforementioned cracking up, the ridiculousness of being in a funk because my cupcakes didn’t come out the way I’d hoped had been squarely put in its place. Silly Deb, don’t you know that it only matters that it tastes good? Of course, of course, I muttered, because they were crazy delicious. And I almost sold myself on it, I did. But next time, I still might try a piping bag to get that damned dollop centered.
Black Bottom Cupcakes
- 8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling
For the cupcakes
Make the cupcakes: Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.
In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, 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 and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, leaving just a couple spoonfuls behind in the bowl (if you’d like to marble the tops, as shown). Spoon a couple tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. Spoon any remaining chocolate batter back over the cream cheese center, if you plan to marble the tops. Use a butter knife inserted only about 1/2-inch into the cupcake to swirl the batters together decoratively. The cupcakes will be almost completely full (90%), which is fine. If you still have batter leftover, make one or two additional cupcakes.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These moist treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.
Two notes:
* If you choose to go mini for these, keep the filling at a tablespoon or less, lest you run out, as, ahem, someone else may have.
** Though I’ve only made this recipe one, and therefore don’t think you should take my input as absolute authority, I’ve got to advise against actually letting these guys fill up. Not an issue if you’re going full-size, but if you go mini, aim for 90 percent full.
I just wanted to let you know I’ve been lurking for months, cooking much of what you post, and finding a new hobby in the meantime. This last weekend, I cooked the brussels sprouts in caper butter and a risotto loosely based on one of yours for my new in-laws, and now they all think I’m a rock star in the kitchen. Thanks.
Delicious!! Both the Pulp Fiction reference, which I too recall and found interesting, and this SO luxurious reciped.
Thanks! :)
Ugh, meant recipe.
I think they look great – so great I might just have to make some the next time I’m supposed to take dessert somewhere. (I suspect I would eat them all if they didn’t have someplace to go!) – Cheers!
Me? I think they’re really pretty. Just like that.
You can make these for me in a few weeks if you want.
heh.
I had exactly that problem with the black-bottom brownie bites from Nancy Baggett’s book  I overfilled them drastically, which resulted in an unpleasant sunken look. Delicious, but not at all impressive. Will try this recipe this week and report back. Thanks.
I make a non-fat version of these (I know, I know…silly concept but a necessity with my baking addiction). I do use a piping bag to get the filling in the center and I add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips to the top of the filling that get all lovely gooey once baked. Highly addictive. :)
I grew up next to this bakery that always had black-bottoms, they never looked perfect but had crooked overflows of white on black, much like yours. I liked it this way best, so I could pick out the ones that had the most cheesecake, of course. Try a piping bag for the boring old perfect look :-)
silly deb! perfection is for crazy people. and i agree with shuna up there, you can make those puppies for me any time.
Blackbottoms are a family tradition for me. My mom has been making dozens for holidays and special occasions since the early 1980s! I like them in the mini size, the regular size is a bit much. I also like to to use mini chips instead of broken up chocolate for more even distribution or else we’d all be picking the ones with the most chips!
When I was a kid, the deli near my school made these, and actually called them “Ugly Muffins”. They’re not supposed to look perfect! But they sure do taste good.
I just made these the other day for a friend’s bday! I had the opposite problem though…my cheesecake filling kept sinking to the bottom and I was left with little to no indication of the yumminess that was within. Mine were the full-sized though. I wonder what the trick is? David’s look so perfect, of course! I suppose I need to make another batch…you know, in the name of practice’s sake
Those look scrumptious! If you are really THAT much of a perfectionist that it bothers you to have non-perfect cupcakes around, feel free to send them to me!
Much like Rachel above, I have been making black bottoms for many, many years. Having made both regular and mini cupcakes, I have to put my two cents in….mini always seem to come out better. Deb, I have been lurking for a few months and I really enjoy your recipes!
I haven’t made these in years! Thanks for the yummy reminder!
I like these just the way they are — who needs a centered dollop, anyway?!
YUM!!!
I just love Blackbottom cupcakes…..I could eat ’em until I burst. Who cares if the cream cheese is centered? Overflow?? Sheesh. Too small? Meh.
Enjoyment is the key word; take yourself too seriously and you forget why you cook in the first place. It’s to enjoy. Perfection on earth is impossible.
Once again I get to make everyone jealous because I had two of these delectable mini-treats at a party on Saturday night!
I have an idea; I think chilled filling would stay put better. Chill the filling, scoop it out with a melon baller and just drop it into the well. Or, pipe it warm into long ropes on cookie sheet, chill, and cut off the amount you need. Maybe it if is a tubular piece that will help.
They look absolutely delicious! Cheesecake bites, how divine. mmmmmmmmm
They look lovely, those little cakelets! And Knocked Up? Absolutely made my Sunday night, especially the chairs-in-Vegas scene, though, really, there were too many funny moments to count. Nice to see you on Saturday!
Deb – did you know Fitness magazine gave you a shout out? Maybe you’ve already mentioned it here, and I didn’t see it. But anyhoo, I was reading it Sunday morning and came across a little blurb about how much your blog rocks the universe.
Oh, my, Deb! What’s not to like about these? As far as the aesthetics, you have to look on the bright side. If no one eats them because they’re not “pretty,” that just means more for you! (Although, they look fine to me.)
They look delicious, but what screamed out at me the most in this post is your love of the chair scene in Knocked Up. “There are five chairs in this room. Five chairs!” “I’m high. I’m so high on this chair. I need to sit in this other one.” Paul Rudd at his most hilarious. That movie was fabulous.
Whenever my grandfather would go to a potluck he would always pick the ugliest desert. When I asked him why he said it was because you knew that one had to be homemade, and would be better than the pretty ones because they were most likely purchased.
That is what your story reminds me of. So I probably would have picked these if you brought them to a pot luck. YUM!
I grew up on a recipe very similar to this. They were always the family favorite. And I agree, they are better cold. Thanks for the reminder of these wonderful treats!!
What a great idea for a make ahead summer potluck dessert! I’ve never heard of the recipe before, but I want to try it now. Thanks!
Jocelyn, you should share! Deb, how did you get Alex to go to “Knocked Up” with you???? B refuses and says that I’m more than welcome to watch it in North Carolina. (I’m not commenting on the cupcakes because I REALLY want one!)
It was actually Alex’s idea to see it. It’s poop humor, what’s not to love?
I made black bottom cupcakes a couple of years ago and they looked exactly like yours. I just pretended this is how they’re SUPPOSED to look.
I went to a bakery recently and these cupcakes were on sale there under the name ‘Stephanie’. I searched all over the internet for the Stephanies recipe but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Since it’s my name, I thought it was really cute.
I have been promised by a certain man in my life that if I make these tonight, I will definitely be getting lucky. Also, loved the movie – however, I think my favorite scene was them running through the drug store, buying every single pregnancy test they could and then going home and peeing on every one of them. :-)
What’s the difference between Dutch process cocoa and natural cocoa?
I can’t get the filling neatly centered too! But like you said, they are “crazy delicious”!
Jessica– From JoyofBaking.com: “Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used… Its delicate flavor makes it ideal in baked goods like European cakes and pastries where its subtle flavor complements other ingredients. Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands.â€Â
Basically, because Dutch-process will nullify baking soda, you’ve got to use the other stuff here. However, if you only have Dutch-process (and really, I think the quality is far superior), there is an exchange for baking powder/baking soda that escapes me right now, but should be Google-able. I’ve used it before with success.
Yes, coming from a person that doesn’t like to bake with buttermilk or other acids as a rule, and also would always choose dark chocolate over regular, I’m wondering why he didn’t just design this recipe to use baking powder from the get go, since with the baking soda it seems to need even added vinegar. If you had any thoughts on what the acid+baking soda combination gains over the use of baking powder, I’d be very interested – for science! :)
Wow, that’s an old comment from me. :) Here’s what I can say now: The base is a very old-fashioned recipe, it’s very likely from the time before commercial baking powder. It follows the formula of a Depression-era or “wacky” cake — i.e. egg and butter-free. Baking soda needs an acid for activation, hence the vinegar. However, I have also found there’s another reaction a food scientist could better explain that happens when vinegar + baking soda + cocoa powder are involved, which is that the cocoa powder gets much darker and appealing. That’s why these are basically Oreo-colored, when the cocoa powder is far from it.
Christine—
Dutch process cocoa has been treated with alkaline which makes it both more acidic and thus darker. Dutch process cocoa reacts in conjunction with chemical leaveners like baking powder and baking soda, making things rise. Natural cocoa, like Scharffen Berger brand (& I think Hershey’s??) has not been treated and so your baked goods will need a lot more push and finesse to rise within the same recipe/called for amounts.
Although a product like Valrhona cocoa is a big investment, when cocoa powder is this good you can get away with less of it.
I’m not so savvy that I can figure out how to get a link into my comment here, but I wrote a lot about cocoa when I explained how Devil’s Food Cake works– look for the recipe on my site, eggbeater, if you wish to know more.
Shuna — I see this post on KQED, I hope it’s the right one. Thanks for chiming in.
http://www.kqed.org/weblog/food/2007/04/devils-food-cake.jsp
Goodness me, these look like they could satisfy even the fiercest chocolate craving. Well done!
I thank you so much- I had forgotten about this recipe- my best friend gave it to me 35 years ago- the only difference is that it called for German Sweet chocolate and was printed on the wrapper for awhile. I am headed in to make a batch so I can eat them before anyone gets home!
So, my second pan just came out of the oven. Yum. I agree – I think that these are better cold (and since it is about 90 outside my door, this is perfect). Also, I used the piping bag to put on the cream cheese and it worked much better. In fact, if you make your filling a half hour or hour in advance and refrigerate it, then pipe it out, it works wonderfully! No ugly cupcakes here…
hey, Deb, they are cute as they are, just enjoy them in all their imperfection, or send them my way, whichever suits you the best.
By the way, I sent you an email a couple of days ago, and so did Lis, I´m not sure if you are getting them at all. Please let me know.
I love black bottom cupcakes, and since I’m awful at making food look good, they’re perfect for me. : ) I, too, love a potbelly on a woman – just a little one. My best friend in high school had one and it drove her crazy since she was otherwise skinny, but I thought it looked so cute and was secretly a little jealous.
Oh Deb, we must have been separated at birth. I made a Carmel cheesecake this weekend for a party. Even though the group finished it off in record time, some even bowing to my culinary genius all I could think about it how it looked. The slices sunk a little at the ends. You think maybe I should see Knocked Up, could that be the cure?
I. LOVE. THESE. My grandmother used to always have these in the freezer for when we came to visit. To this day, I love them icy cold. Good memories.
Another thing. When I made my grandmother’s recipe the first time, I had the same problem with the cheese spreading across the top. As I recall, the next time I stuck the filling in the fridge for a while to stiffen it up, then really pushed the hardened filling down deep into the batter. That seemed to help.
You’re totally right about the looks versus taste thing. I once made drop biscuits for somebody’s kid I was taking care of for the evening. He was totally suspicious of these ugly looking lumps. Until he reluctantly consented to taste one. I was lucky to get even one for myself.
Thank you so much for this recipe! You couldn’t have had better timing, seriously. I’ve been wanting to make cupcakes like this for my graduation party this weekend but wasn’t finding the “right” recipe. Now, here it is. Thanks again.
I’ve dabbled my hands in making these black bottom cupcakes for so many times and for so many occasions now and using many recipes variation, and no matter what I still find that it’s easy and quick to make, and pleases almost everybody. My first couple of attempts didnt turned out as presentable as I had wanted them to be, but I’d like to think I’ve quite mastered the consistency and the amount required already to make a nice cute cupcake. What I’d normally do to make it look more ‘nicer’ is to place a teaspoon dollop of cream cheese in the middle and top it off with another teaspoon dollop of cupcake mixture on top. So far, it had never failed me. :D
they look so delicious!!!
I make these often and let me warn you, if you happen to run out of flour in the middle of the recipe, DO NOT SUBSTITUTE WHOLE WHEAT no matter how tempted you are. They will only end up in the garbage.
chilling the cheesecake part helps, or just start with cold cream cheese. i use one of those tiny ice cream scoops to plop it in the batter.
My grandmother makes them all the time and one day was feeling lazy and made them in a 9×9 pan and it was the best cake EVER. she also sprinkles them with a mixture of chopped walnuts and a bit of sugar, adds a nice crunch.
I took beat myself up when thing don’t look as pretty as they taste. But these look pretty darn good to me.
These were awesome. I enjoyed many of them on Saturday night. And they went really well with karaoke.
Felt pulled back here this morning, and I’m so glad I did, I straight away made the cupcakes, and am delighted with them, as is the family, they may be blobby and irregular, but we are too, and they taste heavenly anyway. I have blogged the event.
Thank you once again.
E
xx
I made these tonight and they looked just like yours, which I think is fine! They were tasty. I ate one warm and found it a bit cheesy but I think they will be awesome at room temp. or chilled. Also, I used regular old cocoa powder [ie, with added alkaline] and they still turned out swell.
when you come to Paris, I’ll show you how to get those little buddies lookin’ just right…
(But you’ll need to bring the Philadelphia!)
All I can say about this post, your blog (and apparrently. Paul Rudd’s fist) is “It tastes like rainbows”.
amazing. did the minis. did the piping bag. all the notes and tips really helped. they’re great. and I don’t even like cake usually or cup cakes. so good. it’s a keeper. and, just want to note….relatively easy recipe. –long time lurker, first post
Dear Deb,
I drop by here from time to time, but must admit that I’m not a cooking/baking enthusiast (despite naming my blog after a twist on my favorite treat) – I come here for the little stories and the pictures. HOWEVER….when I saw this recipe I was indeed ‘smitten’ – with the need to bake these. My mom used to make them when I was little and they were so delectable! Here in Santa Barbara, there is an upscale deli/bakery/cafe called Pierre Lafond that sells larger versions of them called “farm cakes” and they sell out every day.
So it is with a pretty proud smile that I say I got my Aktins/diet/spinning crazed assistant and her little girl and made a big bunch of these, plus classic chocolate chip cookies and a simple chocolate cake today. Despite our lack of many ‘proper’ utensils, they turned out great – we made mini and regular and they were both beautiful. And more important, DELICIOUS.
From a non-baker and a mom who had never, in 8 years, made her kids homemade baked goods, two estatic kids, five of their friends, and half a neighborhood – (we even passed the recipe on to one of their moms who could not believe they were home made)
A big, chocolatey, cream-cheesy, tender THANK YOU.
hi there!
loved the idea of piping them, so i tried it. and yes, they were beautiful.
but i must admit… the ‘ugly’ ones tasted SOoooo much better!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/saintalia/560970125/
thanks for the amazing recipes!
shara
Hey!
I’ve made three of your recipes, three nights in a row :D I finally got my hands on an oven again after about 6 months of dying to cook and bake again.
First recipe I made was one based on the blondie recipe – it was good, I added banana, instant coffee and walnuts, and they weren’t too sweet, and almost cakelike due to the banana. The coffee was nowhere to be tasted (and I put a good 1.5 tablespoons in at least!) but they were good anyway and they disappeared in less than a day.
Those classic brownies from CI were up last night. I substituted and substituted, and ended up making something that had the faintest likeness to the CI recipe. I ended making these two layered things, where the top half was crunchy and almost cookie-like, and the bottom layer, no matter how long I cooked it, refused to set. I stuck it in the freezer overnight hoping it would turn into some caramel-fudgey layer and it did! :D Everyone loves them (maybe due to the contrasting nature of the two layers) and they’re well and truly disappearing. More slowly than the banana nut blondies, but that’s because they’re a lot sweeter, and more than a couple of bites sure makes you feel a tad sick.
This recipe here was the one I baked tonight. I mostly stuck to the recipe, though I ran out of brown sugar and substituted some white instead… and I turned it from cupcakes into a slice cake (9×13 pan). A nice layer of chocolate, then a layer of cream cheese, then another thin layer of chocolate. They’re soft and spongey (and I don’t usually bake cakes because I don’t like them at all and find that slices disappear more rapidly), and they’ve got a great taste. They don’t seem to be sweet at all, and the vinegar gives it almost a sharpness of which the cream cheese nicely takes the edge off. A good third of it is gone and I took it out of the oven not an hour ago.
All in all, a great three nights baking. I’m off to search for more recipes, after spending way too much time on food blogs. I may as well make use of the kitchen facilities while I have them (only two more weeks :( ) Many many thanks for the hours of salivating and cooking craving, and while I’m sure my baked goods were nowhere what they were supposed to be, they were good =) A little bit of improv can work wonders sometimes (I’ve been baking solo since I was 9, I’m 18 now).
Time to wrap this long post up. All I can say is a great big thank you, and keep the cooking up!
The chocolate part of the recipe is almost identical to the Moosewood Six-Minute Chocolate Cake recipe. The Moosewood recipe uses cold coffee instead of water, which adds a great flavor. I agree that the cupcake tastes better chilled–it’s fudgier.
thought of your stamps yesterday while watching martha….”…I’m the beech stamp because I’m the beech of the company [because the beech is the mother tree]. Not the bitch, the BEECH….” it was quite cute. I martha.
ope, I meant to post that above at the blog with the reference to your stamps. must…get…coffee….
this was on my delicious bookmarks for ages and i finally have an excuse to make em next week! one question – do i have to use natural cocoa? (cause i only have varlhona here right now) or is it something to do with the vinegar’s acidity and blah so i have to use natural? thanks in advance :)
I made these and they came out really great. I found that if i beat the eggs 1st and then took out a small amount of the egg, i got better results and the filling sunk perfectly. I also olny used a spoon full of the filing per cupcake, It said to use all of it but i only made 1/2 the recomended amount of filling to each full amount of cupcak mix and even with that i had extra.
Deb
As you know by now, I made these little devils and they were phenomenal. I’m so glad I remembered seeing your hilarious post here previously. Not only did you provide the recipe, but your entertained as well. And for the record, my cupcakes shared the same genetically predisposed disposition and could pass as members of your family…………LOL
Mark
Although these are truly delicious as they are (messy liquidy filling, white tops and all) i can safely say i found a great tweak to make them look even better:
i only use half a package of creamcheese and an eggyolk instead of a whole egg. i also add a tablespoon of flour. i mix it well with a fork until all the lumps are gone and stick it in the fridge while i make the cake batter.
i add an additional half cup of boiling water to the batter to make it a little lighter. it helps when you put those creamcheese dollops in the center and they just sink in perfectly!
I can feel my arteries clogging already…but these cupcakes are so worth it!!!!! Thank you!
yum. simple as that!
I was just wondering if you could use a browine mix insted of Devils Food?
I just made my first attempt at these cupcakes. And I have to say that everything turned out great except that I burned them! I guess my oven temp is a bit high…so the cupcake tops were burned already at about 20 mins. I am now trying my second batch where I have lowered the oven temp. by about 25 degrees and am checking on them at about 15 mins and it looks like they are done. They only issue I think I might have still is the cream cheese filling. I think I might have over mixed it a bit since it turned out kind of fluffy in the center. Not all creamy and moist like a cheese cake. =( Oh well….like they say practice makes perfect.
I really liked the taste of the chocolate batter, but my boyfriend and I both are not converted fans (sadly). They sounded awesome, but something just isn’t hitting right with my taste buds. Admittedly, that may have something to do with the cold and stuffed up nose I’m sporting this weekend.
I had decided to try these with jumbo size muffin tins, and made six of them. Interestingly enough, the white innards sunk to the bottoms of these cupcakes and made vaguely star-shaped forms inside. So they’re more like white-bottomed cupcakes! They do look really cool.
I’m glad I tried this recipe, overall!
I know you published this recipe well over a year ago, and may not troll around here for new comments, but wondering it the cooking time is the same for the full-sized and mini cupcakes? Thanks. Sorry if you’ve already answered this somewhere earlier.
Hi Deb — The baking time is for full-size cupcakes. I just made my own ones tiny. Enjoy!
I started making these years ago, and in a moment of laziness, I decided to turn the recipe into a full cake, baked in a 24 cm springform pan, with the whole cheese mixture spread on top – I drop it on with a spoon so it doesn’t sink. I bake it for about 45 minutes, or until the cheesy part starts browning. It’s fabulous and saves the time required to make cupcakes.
mmm- looks yummy! and that has always been my favorite pulp fiction quote too!
I made these last night cause my co-worker is finally off his diet (i’m evil, i know).
The cup “cake” part is very delicate and just the type of cake i’m looking for; moist, soft and strong chocolate flavor. I wonder what the vinegar does to a batter though, is it for flavor or is it for the baking soda? I made the chocolate peanut butter cake from your site and it calls for the vinegar as well. these are the only times i’ve used vinegar in cake. yummy, nonetheless!
The topping didn’t sink for me. i think i was trying to breakup the cream cheese too much that i took a whisk to it. it is very fluffy when they came out. next time, i’ll encase the cheese with a blob of batter and/or take out a bit of the egg.
I can’t remember when the last time I had black bottom cupcakes! They are wounderful, I am so glad I found your website,thankyou so much.
For the filling I think we just need to add a yolk rather than the whole egg. Adding the whole egg makes the filling watery.
Deb, Deb…Deb. I made these cupcakes a few days ago. OH! The joy! It was worth every extra ounce of potential hip flab just to spend time with them in the quiet of my home away from everything. Though, I did share them with coworkers. Well, I sort of shared them. I shared 6. The 6 I ate. Alone. It was awesome!
*LOVE* your blog!
I have been staring at this recipe for DAYS!!! I have such a big craving for these right now…My grandma used to make these when I was younger whenever she came to visit. And yes, they are FAR better cold. I also think it’s better when the cupcakes don’t look perfect… it’s what makes them taste better! Looks like I’m going to have to wait until I get home this summer to bake these! Can’t wait! :)
I made these over the rainy weekend and my husband declared them the BEST. CUPCAKES. EVER. Which is saying a lot, considering I made the Irish carbomb cupcakes last month (my personal favorite).
I finally got the chance to make these. I made mini’s and had a hard time with the filling – it did not sink into the cake! I made one batch and the filling just sat on top and looked…blah. So for the next batch I filled the batter up half-way, layered in some filling and then drizzled batter over the filling so that there was white and chocolate at the top. It worked – they looked nice enough to share with people. haha. oh, my pans made almost 40 minis and the cakes are definitely better chilled. Thank for the recipe!
williams and sonoma has a recipe thats VERY similar! they suggest ‘injecting’ the cream cheese filling into the cupcake with a pastry bag. i made them – and they were such a hit! good luck :o)
I ended up decreasing the amount of cream cheese a little and using one extra large egg, then filling regular size muffin tins with 1 tbsp dollop and topping with chocolate chips. Came out great!!
I used a ziploc bag to inject the cream cheese and then i topped with chocolate sprinkles. SO cute and delicious.
I’m not very good at baking, so I figured I’d screw up something as fancy as a black-bottom cupcake for sure. I was feeling adventurous this weekend, though, so I gave this recipe a try. PERFECT! I made the full-size cupcakes, and just dolloped the filling in with a rubber spatula. I think these are even better than the local coffee shop, and I’ve gotten rave reviews from the (few) people I’ve shared them with. The most surprising thing is that they weren’t actually that much work! (I’m pretty lazy, one of the reasons I’m not a good baker.)
I may have used the wrong kind of cocoa powder (the recipe says “not dutch process” and mine said it was alkalized, and i think that means the same thing.) It didn’t seem to matter though – google tells me it matters more the other way around (you do NOT want to use “natural” when the recipe calls for dutch process.) Something to do with acid/base reactions, which I assume is why there is vinegar in the recipe for this one.
I know this is over two years late, but if you still check… what was the cooking time for the mini cupcakes – I don’t know how to adjust times AT ALL.
The bf just got me a kitchen aid (it’s bright green – I’m in love) for my birthday and I think I might need to break it in immediately.
I don’t remember — but just check on them early and often and you won’t have any burnt cakes.
just in case others have the same question as me… mini cupcakes in my oven at 350 F took somewhere between 12 and 14 minutes
Deb, they are delicious – although so far I have at least 48 minis with more batter and filling waiting for the tray to be ready
I’m having a very smittenkitchen birthday tomorrow: made these and the cheese straws, tomorrow I’m making the roasted red pepper white bean dip (I’m going to try it with roasted garlic), and the black bean confetti salsa. thank you!
I had a vat or so of cream cheese to use up (follow some panic-buying for a frosting recipe last week) and made these last night in my new and adorably tiny miniature sillicone muffin cases. They were absolutely delicious, and utterly worth it, despite the faffing around with a piping bag required. I sprinkled a few white chocolate chips on top too, just for extra sugar and calories, and they went down a storm (i.e. my boyfriend had three for breakfast).
To put it simply, I <3 these… so much that I’m posting my first comment after trying out several of your recipes. My mom used to make them when I was little using cake mix and chocolate chips, but your recipe is so easy and delicious it’s become my new favorite dessert to share with folks (and makes enough to leave a few at home for not sharing). The only thing I’ve added is a fresh raspberry (or 2) to the top for decoration (and of course more tastiness).
These are sooooo good! I just made them last night and we ate about half of them straight out of the oven (I only had one, I swear! There were 3 teenage boys in the house!) They were infinitely better after we chilled them. They’re gone now but I’m already getting requests to have these again.
The only change I made to the recipe was to cut the vinegar back to 1/3 tablespoon. I hate vinegar and was afraid of having too much of the taste but I didn’t taste it at all and I think it added something to the chocolate cake. I wouldn’t put more in, but I wouldn’t leave it out completely either. (IMHO)
Thanks for the recipe!
These look amazing. I’m going to try making them with chunks of snickers in the cheesecake.
I brought these cupcakes as my birthday treat in school when I was little. Wonderful memories!
I just made these (full sized) and, while they turned out pretty well, I didn’t keep them in the oven long enough. I baked for 27 minutes, and was nervous of overcooking so I took them out. But they weren’t quiiiite done, still a little runny on the inside even after cooled. So make sure the center really springs back when poked to determine doneness!
I just made black bottom cupcakes from another recipe today and they turned out terribly. I will give this recipe a try since I don’t want to give up. I just need a confirmation though: these do have a strong chocolate flavor and you can actually taste the cream cheese right? Also, would it be smart to substitute coffee for water? Please do help me with this… I am supposed to bring these somewhere next week and my first recipe trial turned out to be a failure so I really hope your recipe saves the day.
Naj — The cream cheese flavor is very present; the chocolate isn’t as decadent as a rich brownie but it’s there, don’t worry.
Hi Deb
I made these today to bring to the in laws this afternoon and hubby and I tried one beforehand and they are WONDERFUL.
Thank you for such a special recipe
<3
These look great–I’m making them as a “welcome home” gift to a dear friend who’s arriving back tonight from a year in France. When we were in fourth grade her family moved from Berkeley to New Mexico, and my sister and I flew to visit them, carrying, per their request, a box of black bottom cupcakes from our local bakery.
I just made these last night and my cream cheese filling sort of spread out all over the top like yours Deb. I brought in a few of them into work this morning and used my coworkers as guinea pigs. They were all quickly DEVOURED. All aesthetics aside, these were delicious!! Thank you! I can’t wait to make these again.
I did notice as I was making the filling, that the consistency of the cream cheese was somewhat “grainy”? I mixed the cream cheese, sugar, and egg all at once and am wondering if I should have beat the cheese and sugar first and then added the egg afterwards as one normally would when making a cheesecake?
Made these last night and they are fantastic!
I made these yesterday and took them into work today. Everyone one RAVED about them! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. You are a genius! xxx
My mom and I have been making cupcakes like this for years, but we use chocolate cake mix and call them filled cupcakes. The cake mix we use must be a lot less dense than the batter you made here, because our cheesecake filling ends up down in the middle of the cupcake with chocolate cake on top. We usually end up making them for every cupcake-worthy celebration because everyone always asks for them. You can even make them into a cake if you pour the chocolate batter in a cake pan and swirl the cheesecake over top. I’ll have to see how they turn out with the homemade batter!
I never thought of a vegetable oil as being flavored. Is canola oil non flavored?
Also, thanks to your website, I have discovered my flour thumb. :-)
sooo delicious! thanks :)
I made these just as suggested with the following alterations to the cream cheese filling, as suggested by reader Maya above:
– Used 1 yolk, not the whole egg
– Added a T or so of flour (I used cake flour so the final product wouldn’t be grainy/tough)
– Added a splash of vanilla
– Did not add chocolate chunks yet
– Chilled the filling overnight
I filled my cups about 3/4 full with batter, plopped a tablespoonish-sized gob of cream cheese filling into the center, and then used the action of pushing the chocolate chunks into the cream cheese to kind of force the filling further down into the batter. The cream cheese was still exposed when I put the cuppies in, and the cups were quite full (almost to the top) but they turned out beautifully: a proper dome-shape with sunken swirls of cream cheese filling decorating the top.
I haven’t eaten one yet, but they smell divine.
Deb, your blog is a veritable treasure trove of recipes. This is the second recipe I have tried and my mini muffins turned out pretty, and more importantly, delicious. And, yes, they are even better cold. Since I live in Guatemala, “land of eternal spring” = warm all the time, I am always on the lookout for excellent cold desserts. Chocolate + cold couldn’t be better combo.
Maybe someone else can weigh in here on a question. I have two bags of raw cacao powder that I am using instead of using traditional cocoa. Has anyone else tried substituting this for regular cocoa? Do you make any adjustments to the recipes? Thanks!
My mom used to make these when I was a kid — one of the only homecooked things she ever made — and I loved them! When I ran across them on Leite’s Culinaria site a couple of weeks ago, I did a gleeful jig and ran to the grocery store for cream cheese. I made them twice in the last two weeks to bring to various places. I find that normal sized cupcakes bake up gorgeous and perfect, but have been unable to make minis that worked — either I screwed up the right ratio of chocolate to filling or I cooked them the wrong time. Anyway, I usually like minis better, but these taste so good I’m back to making them big sized and eating them anyway. Delicious! (PS I like them better the way my mom used to make them, without the chocolate bits stirred into the cream cheese filling.)
Deb, I couldn’t agree with you more on the “pot belly” quote. In fact, as I did a quick scan of my memory for notable quotes/scenes from Pulp Fiction before I read further, it was at the top of my list. It’s one of those quotes that will pop up in my psyche from time to time – though mostly after a good meal that includes food and drink and pot belly holding.
First time commenting here, and look, it’s not even about food at all, which is ultimately why I come, but I gotta tell you the little bits of back-story that you included is why I stay. So thanks. ;)
P.S. I share your feelings about chicken, though your description of it being like “pressed sawdust” was way better than my “it’s just gross or bleh or icky or a physical expression of all of those things including a face and shoulder shudder – my personal favorite”.
i made some black bottom cupcakes the other day and my cheesecake filling also spread across the cupcake instead of being centered lol i was really annoyed, just like you did but they do taste very good so i soon forgive myself :)
Hey,
I made these a few days ago and they didn’t turn out as expected. So I have a question about the recipe:
Does the temperature at which the cream cheese filling is kept at matter? It’s pretty hot here, and I had a runny liquidy thing on my hand. The filling tasted fine once baked, but some of it burnt on the tops.
I’ve never had black bottom cupcakes before and this was my first time, so understandably I didn’t know what the expect. Mine didn’t look so pretty on the tops either. I think the cream cheese mixture kinda seeped to the middle and settled there and the tops were just brown with some burnt white patches.
Will try these again. Keep the filling cool and maybe fill them less and see how it goes.
Just wanted to say that I made these last night but sort of let the concept of “filling” go and they came out great! Basically, instead of trying to “fill” the cupcakes I filled the bottoms with roughly 2.5 tablespoons of the batter and then just threw 2 tablespoons of the “filling” on top. So I ended up with a chocolate bottom half and a lovely, nicely risen cheesecake top half. With the chocolate shavings they looked sort of like blueberry muffins and several people told me they were “beautiful.” I wouldn’t go that far but I did think they had their appeal. Just my version! Thanks for the really delicious recipe!!!
I found an old fashioned chocolate cake from a recipe that I recognised immediately is basically the same as this one. It (and I) used white sugar and used hot coffee instead of the plain water. I made it into 2 8 inch layers. I had no idea that a really decent and easy chocolate layer cake could be made without any dairy or eggs or even a mixer! I knew it would work for cupcakes, but a layer cake? It was a revelation! What a boon for people with egg or dairy allergies! The recipe included the most amazing, glossy, EASY, dark chocolate frosting. It made up for the missing dairy however, but was so outstanding that I will never make another choc frosting. Email or post it here?
Oh, btw…the cake was double this recipe..forgot that little detail!
I just made these gluten free for a bake sale and i honestly could not tell the difference between the original recipe and the gf one. I used Bob’s Red Mill GF all purpose flour as an even replacement for the ap flour and 1/2 tsp xantham gum. just in case you know someone who doesnt/cant do gluten.
I made these last night on the spur of the moment. How many ways are tehre to say YUM?! So good. I think that I may be making these alot. They were so easy too. I’m very glad to have found this recipe. Thanks Debs.
Like others–frustrated with the uncenteredness of the cheese filling! but a piping bag–of course!
I made this twice. It’s one of my favorite recipe. Thank you so much!
I’ve made these twice, now. A great “go to” recipe. I doubled the cupcake recipe, and kept the cream cheese filling the same b/c I just had too much filling the first go-round. This gets me 32 deelish cupcakes. And I use my cookie dough scoop (about a tblsp size) to center the filling on top. The 2nd time around, I sprinkled just a few mini-choco chips on top of the cream cheese dollops. Very nice touch, if I do say so me-self. Tks for sharing, as always. You are incredible, Deb!
this is CRAZY!!!! i just had one of these for THE FIRST TIME EVER today and all i could think was OMGod this is SOOOOOO GOOOOODDD!!!! but i didnt know where to get the recipe… and then I just happened to hit the suprise button and they popped up!!! it is meant to be.. these are going to be in my stomach VERY sooooon(:
This is an awesome recipe. I entertained my last guests with these and they were a big hit. Thanks!
Dear Deb,
I am desperately looking for a recipe for black cupcakes that look pretty much like these (cupcake color itself, not frosting)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ng7-yLn-9Hk/SeIQX9YxhzI/AAAAAAAAOSo/lK0EWToxNDo/s1600-h/black+and+white+cupsc.jpg
I tried skipping the cheescake part of your recipe and make the chocolate part only, but they turned out brown, not black, should I just replace water with coffee? Or was my cocoa powder or sugar too light brown?
I live in Poland where 90% of the people don’t know what a cupcake is so please HELP I really have noone to ask!!!!I tried around 15 devil food (cup)cake recipes and none of them really worked…
If Deb doesn’t see this post – maybe one of you guys have a tip?
A cupcake lover & a former NYC part-time inhabitant from Krakow, Poland,
Paulina
There are a few ways to get truly black cupcakes: black cocoa powder, a specialty item. You should not use too much of it as it can be bitter. Black food dye, again, from a baking supply shop. After that, you can fiddle with one of these chocolate cake recipes. The darker your cocoa, the darker the color. Dutched cocoas tend to run darker.
I think you’ve snuck into my family and swiped their recipe ;-) My great aunt (somewhere way back when) used to sell these at a store in Bethelehem PA. My mom has been making them for me instead of a birthday cake for as long as I can remember. The minis are way better, (hullo…BiteSized!) I agree. I will defintitely pay attention to my cocoa powder next time I make them though…I’ve always felt something was a bit off with mine ever since I tasted the ones sold in a store nearby. Maybe thats it!
some people think chocolate chip cookies are comfort food, I think these are!
I have been reading your blog zealously for years, and the recipes always make me look like a rock star to my friends. But, last week I tried to make this recipes, and discovered an essential rule of cooking: there are no guarantees of sucess when cooking in another language. My beloved cream cheese was actually cream cheese with chives, so of course the filling got nixed. But, I backed up the chocolate batter into bouchons and wow!. I am not a lover of chocolate cake, but it was amazingly good. Chocolately, but not bitter, sweet without the sugar-shock. I cannot wait to try this with the cream cheese next time.
Hands down one of the best cupcakes I have ever made and tasted!
deb,
when i first discovered you, you were my newest blog crush for at least 6 months. now i feel as if we are old friends. i just google searched david lebovitz’ black bottom cupcakes and of course you popped up! i love pulp fiction and how Fabienne wants a “pot.” she can have mine! and i can’t watch the las vegas chair scene without tears streaming down my face. thanks for the recipe!
hm, didn’t turn out as amazing as I thought. You were right, the sugar in the cupcake needs to be firmly packed. I did 1 loosely filled cup of sugar and the cupcake wasn’t sweet enough. The texture of the cake is a bit…well taste like it had a tiny bit too much water (might be due to less sugar) and didn’t have much of a taste (may be due to the fact (just realized, grr) that my cocoa powder is marked as cocoa baking powder, a good quality one would be better?). Or else I just like chocolate cake better than devil food cake.
The filling is very runny. It might be better with 1/2 egg instead of 1 egg (double the batch and everything except the egg? or just use part of the egg). I think semisweet goes better here than bittersweet. Not sure if it’s my chips, but the sweet cream cheese made the bittersweet chocolate chips taste a bit sour and bitterer.
The concept is good. Will be attempting this later with a chocolate cake/cupcake recipe instead. =)
My mom has been making these since I was a kid (although with a box mix devil’s food cake). To this day this is what my brother still requests as a birthday “cake”!! I’ve got these in the oven for him right now. One thing my mom’s recipe says is to hold back som of the chocolate cake batter the add on top of the cream cheese mixture so that the tops “hide” the surprise inside (helps them to look pretter). And I totally agree these taste even better cold (the next day…if they make it that long)!
I just made a double batch of minis and they turned out fantastic! I had to try 5 just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. I am normally a terrible baker. I baked them for 15 minutes, which seemed to be the right time for the mini cupcakes. Happy to serve these at a birthday party tomorrow and add it to my repertoire!
What a delightful discovery these cupcakes were! Upon biting into one you realize they’re the kind of cake that make you nod approvingly at the goodness of cake, chocolate and cream cheese pairings, and life in general. I personally appreciated how the cream cheese filling spread out as it cooked – the lacking standardization made each cake an original artistic creation! This recipe is a KEEPER!!
I’m making cupcakes for my friend’s wedding, and she wants 9 dozen of “Black Bottom Cupcakes”. Is there a frosting that you suggest to use with this recipe? Just a cream cheese frosting? Also, do you know how well they freeze? Thanks! Can’t wait to try them!
Those lines about pot bellies in “Pulp Fiction” were written by Anais Nin, pretty much word for word.
Lush cupcakes, my friends loved them! For some reason, my cheesecake mixture was really liquid. I poured it on top of the chocolate mixture and it resulted in a nice marbled effect. Oh, and I pushed 3-4 raspberries into each muffin before adding the cheesecake mixture, which was a nice, fruity addition. A friends has just asked me to bake for a baby shower – these will be on the list to do.
I made these in the morning and took a bite when it came out of the oven – and I was so disappointed that I had decided to use my cream cheese on it. I devoured 3 of them out of depression, then stashed the rest in the fridge. I came back in the evening and took a bite, wow they get so much better with age/a low temperature it’s crazy. I’d highly suggest popping them into the fridge before consuming :)
I’ve been making black bottom cupcakes since middle school and now they’re a favorite among my friends in college. I love this recipe, the cake has such a moist consistency, unlike so many chocolate cake recipes I’ve tried. It always helps to chill the cream cheese a bit, and they are best when they’ve cooled to room temperature! Thanks for the recipe.
I always said I don’t really like cupcakes, but these were absolutely fantastic!!! I only got to eat one, though, as I made these for a friend going away for a while.
These are so good! Thanks for the recipe! I’ve made them several times but can’t seem to ever make enough – they simply disappear! Anyway, I do agree that they are in the “but-(h)er-face” category, however, because they are so delicious I’m going to make pretty little chocolate leaves to go on top for Thanksgiving…No icing for these bad boys but a crunchy chocolate leaf will be prefect I think.
I’ve been making these cupcakes since 1989 and my friends & family still love them and request them whenever we have pot-lucks. I got my recipe (reads the same as above) from a book titled John Hadamuscin SPECIAL OCCASIONS, Holiday Entertaining All Year Round. It’s my favorite go-to cook-book since it’s easy to read, easy to follow instructions and gives background and where the recipe came from. I’ve shared the BB cupcakes recipe but people always think that I’m holding out on an ingredient because mine seem to taste better to them. My secret? I bless my cupcakes (LOL) before I bake them and I always use real vanilla. ;D
Hi Deb, do you think this will work with your Red Velvet cake recipe? I want to make these for my nephew this weekend.His favorite is red velvet and cheese cake. If so what type of frosting would you suggest to blend the flavors together? More cream cheese? Or a variation? Thank you!
What a fun idea — I think they’d be delicious with red velvet. Cream cheese frosting would work, so would a straight-up chocolate one.
Just made these this morning… AWESOME. I made them in full size but I did make a couple substitutions, though. Filling: I made in advance and chilled in the fridge until I was ready to use it. I used one yolk instead of whole egg, added 1 tsp vanilla. I didn’t add the chocolate pieces this time, but might try in the next batch. I added a little cinnamon to the dry mix & I replaced the water with coffee. I was out of white vinegar but did have balsamic – I tasted the batter after adding and it wasn’t noticeable. For assembly, I put some batter in first, then some filling, then more batter on top to cover the filling. I added a chocolate chip centered on top of each cupcake just to make it a little pretty :) They are delicious and can’t wait to try one cold.
I totally agree; who doesn’t dream about this combo – I’m in dessert heaven! and just broke my sugar fast. ;)
I made these last night, mine look almost exactly like yours! I was disappointed and annoyed, but when I bit into it, all that petty foolishness about appearances disappeared. They are delicious!
I’m already making them again two days from now. Apart from the fact that they’re delicious, I want to get them perfect looking. I’m stubborn like that. Apart from chilling the filling as some of the commenters have done, do you have any other tips, Deb? Thanks!
i know its been years since this was posted.. but dont mix the filling until smooth.. and let it chill for a bit before making the batter for the cupcakes.. works much better this way
Black bottomed Cupcakes I have only just read your post on Black Bottomed Cupcakes and I have made the Black bottomed Cupcakes under another name from my English Grandmothers similar recipe called Chocolate Farm Cakes. She would freeze the cheesecak mixture for 10-12 hours in a rectangular tin and then slice about an 1″ block to drop into the chocolate cake mixture the next day. It always centred. On a funny note there are two reasons for the name Chocolate Farm Cakes..(my grandmotherse recipe called for them to be served with hot chocolate fudge) One is that they look like “cow pats” or meadow muffins or otherwise Farm Cakes. The other reason is that they were handed out to the farm hands in England to eat and an individual cake was easier than slicingup a large cake.
Well done! Just made these and they are very good, and this is coming from a frosting junkie! Perfect to transport. Thanks again for another winner!
Can someone tell me why the vinegar is needed?
It helps activate the baking soda and gives the cocoa a slightly reddish hue.
I’ve been making these since I was a little girl! Love them! We always sprinkle sugar on top right before baking. Makes them even yummier :)
Loved this Deb! I’ve been craving a chocolate lava cake for some time. Do you have any recipes to share?
These are delicious! These cupcakes have been a tradition in my family for years. We have them at every family get together and they are simply known as “The Cupcakes”. Frosting is overrated anyway!
What a find! My mom used to make these when I was a little girl; I cannot even remember the last time I had them! I was looking to use up cream cheese and crushed oreos (leftover from a sundae social) so I subbed the oreos for the chocolate chips. I was able to get 50 mini cupcakes out of this batch (though I’ve found my mini pan is smaller than some…). They baked beautifully, with little domes, in about 14 minutes…allowing to cool a few minutes before removing. I remember prefering to enjoy these served cold… so we’ll see how they are tomorrow! Thanks Deb!
I want you to know that I completely understand your “funk”. I made your Pink Lady Cake and (in my head apparently) it was a disaster. One layer was much thinner than the other, the big layer was on top and wasn’t all the way cooled and, while in its cake carrier on the way to a party, violently split like an ironic peace sign. Although the brave ones who care not for pretty cakes and only for those that taste delicious claimed that my cake was wonderful, I was so mad that I couldn’t even bring myself to have any. Over a week later, I am still in a funk (read: I don’t even want a cake for my own birthday – which was yesterday).
I have a mini pan cooling and another in the oven right now. The apt. smells SICK. I used about two teaspoons of chocolate in each muffin and then a nice-sized squirt (from a baggie) of the cheesecake…then I pressed it down. They’re beautiful but the cheesecake definitely spread all the way across the top. Who knows how deeply they baked. But my GOD it smells good in here. I’m so excited!
(PS I didn’t bother with the chocolate chips…I figured the cupcake was enough chocolate!_
It’s official. My coworkers all hate me. I brought these into work this morning and ruined diets left and right. Needless to say they were bomb. The last couple cupcake recipes of yours I tried (pumpkin and red velvet) came out dry but these were rich and moist. The filling is decadent. I piped most of the filling but chocolate chunks kept clogging my piping bag so I did resort to the tablespoon for the last few. I also decided to top them off with a chocolate ganache which was unnecessary but awesome. Keep em coming, Deb!
Made these last night (half recipe) and they were great! The only tricky part was figuring out how to half my egg, but beating it and using half of it worked great!
Thanks for the recipe!!!
This was my mom’s go-to cupcake recipe when we were kids – maybe the ONLY cupcakes we had as kids. From the back of a ghiradelli choc chips bag.
Yum.
I’ve been making these for years. to keep the cream cheese from spreading across the top simply make the filling first and put in the fridge to firm up while you make and prepare the batter. No need to alter the recipe by using less egg. Also, use mini chocolate chips instead and I sprinkle the top of the cupcakes with sugar and pecans after adding the cream cheese filling -delish!
These were so good! Is there a red velvet cake version out there?
I made these this weekend, and they were DELICIOUS. And, really, so simple. I’ll try refrigerating the filling next time before spooning onto the cupcakes, as the cheesecake didn’t really sink for me. We kept these in the fridge and the two of us ate the entire recipe in 24 hours…none left for my coworkers!
These turned out perfectly for me – the cheesecake sunk into the middle and didn’t show at all on the top, kind of completely hidden. I would agree with the commenters who put the filling in the fridge – I didn’t have time to fully let the cream cheese warm up so mine was still pretty cold when I made these – that may be the trick to getting it to sink.
Thanks for another great recipe!!
BB Cupcakes are THE birthday ‘cake’ my 3 kids request year after year! Given that I love all of your recipes that I have tried, I am going to make this version for my son’s 13th tomorrow. But, really the reason for my comment is that scene happens to be my absloute favorite part of Pulp Fiction. I thought I was the only one.
You are bent out of shape about nothing, because you obviously didn’t eat these as a kid. The “dollop” will never be “centered.” That’s they way they bake. You should know in your profession that baking is chemistry. I could say “it’s just the way the cookie crumbles,” the way that dollop transforms through heat and proximity to the beautiful batter; the combustion of ingredients that puff up, changing matter. That’s the delicious beauty of the black bottom cupcake, Deb.
I really don’t know how 8 of yours wound up with no filling ~ that’s never happened to me in 30 years of cooking. But as long as it comes out delicious, stop sweating the center. Perfection is overrated. These weren’t created to be “perfect” or “centered.” They were created to blend textures and tastes that are lifetime-memorable. That’s what you did. You did good.
Yum! I was looking to make chocolate cupcakes for my daughters birthday, but unfortunately she is allergic to eggs. Could I make these as regular chocolate cupcakes and just leave out the cheesecake filling? Thanks!!
I just made these yesterday, but they didn’t quite turn out for me. The cake was moist and yummy, but the chream cheese filling rose to the top and made almost like an dicing on the cupcakes rather than sinking down inside. Perhaps my cheese filling was too liquidy and not dense enough?
I come back to this recipe every time I get the itch for a black bottom cupcake. I always have just enough batter for exactly 18 cupcakes. I fill the paper cups about 3/4 (I use an old ice cream scoop) full with the cake batter then I plop an overflowing tablespoon of the scrumptious filling. I love how simple the recipe really is, and I am always amazed that a cake with no eggs or milk could be so delicious–but it always is. Thank you! <3 Emili
I did not like this recipe at all. It was flavorless. At first I thought I messed something up, but I made these 3 times on separate occasions and I got the same bland results.
Have you double recipe or do you think better to make two batters. I want to make 24. Thanks
Lola — Doubling the batter should not be an issue.
These were delicious. I love the way my unchilled filling dappled the top of the cupcake in unique designs as they baked. The cakes were chocolatey and moist without being oily. I think we have a new favourite in our house.
I looked this up because I have a wonderful food memory if my mom’s BBCs. Don’t tell her, but these are better. I have to keep making them because as soon as they come out of the oven-they’re gone! The trick is to barely mix the chocolate batter. It melts in your mouth. I have never had such a tender cupcake. It’s what my kids ask for as soon as they walk in the door (no hello…)
These rock my family’s world!!🍮🍴
Reading through these comments to troubleshoot, i think i overmixed my batter! I was *trying* not too but even so, there were lumps so gave a few extra light stirs. Made for a pasty texture. Damn i must try again…
Just removed these from the pan. They smell great, but they aren’t pretty! I think there was probably enough batter for 13 cupcakes, but I only made 12 (as directed). I used cupcake liners, and in some cases, the extra batter ran down between the liner and the pan as the batter expanded during baking. They have a good bit of muffin top (if you will — not a bad thing in this case), and I practically separated the top from the cupcake on some of them in my struggle to remove them from the pan.
Also, the chocolate cupcake itself is essentially the same as the old 6 Minute Chocolate Cake recipe. In that recipe, you mix the wet ingredients (except the vinegar) into the dry ingredients, and then stir in the vinegar last. I think that would work better here because I had to let some lumps remain in the interest of not overstirring the vinegar (although it shouldn’t have been too lumpy given that I sifted everything, but I think it was the brown sugar).
Haven’t tasted them yet, but assuming they taste as good as they smell, I’m sure I’ll make again with those changes.
this is interesting, Do you mean it’s the vinegar that, when the batter gets overmixed, makes them tough? I actually gave a couple of stirs too many because of the lumps you mentioned, and would be very happy to be able to mix to my heart’s content *and* still get that tender crumb, just by adding the vinegar last.
Thanks!
(I hope you read this, even if it’s two years late!)
I just made these, adding orange zest to the cheesecake filling. For presentation, I piped a swirl of my great grandma’s sour cream frosting, and garnished each cupcake with fresh raspberries and blueberries, and the remaining orange zest. Visually aesthetical, and a refreshing symphony of flavors.
Hi! If I wouldn’t to frost these for a birthday party 1) would that be too much? 2) what frosting would you recommend?
You don’t usually see frosting on cream cheese baked goods, whether it’s these or cheesecakes. That would be a real gut bomb.
Delicious, insane, perfect, muah. The cupcake is softer than any chocolate cake I’ve ever made. After reading the comments I was worried about over mixing so I did stop mixing with a slightly lumpy batter, BUT I had sifted all the dry ingredients and whisked them well (always a little more than you think you need to) before adding the wet, so I wasn’t concerned that any of the lumps were clumps of baking soda or anything.
Came out perfect. The cupcake part is not crazy sweet in itself so the punches of semi sweet chocolate from the cream cheese filling are an amazing balance. Deb 4ever.
I have been making black bottom cupcakes for over 30 years. For 16 years we had a little black poodle and I always made them to celebrate her birthday, since she had a black bottom! I look forward to trying the swirling technique. I have scoops in all sizes and I use one size for the batter and another for the filling, so they are pretty uniformly sized. I have also sprinkled multi colored sprinkles on the top to make them a bit more festive. I haven’t made them in quite awhile and now I am craving them!
Can this be made into a cake?
I have made into a cake and it worked quite well. I had to double te oven time, but it still came out very moist
Could you so this with a flavored cream cheese?
Any reason you couldn’t add some red food coloring to the filling to make these Valentine’s Day themed cupcakes?
My mother in law gave me a box filled with my husband’s favorite recipes on handwritten cards. I’ve been making these Black Bottom Cupcakes for 44 years! I sprinkle a mixture of chopped nuts and sugar on top before baking.
You’re the best Deb. A cook to copy!
I had no idea what black bottom cupcakes were until I was instagram inspired by Deb’s insta-story and now my kitchen smells like heaven and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into these cupcakes…it wasn’t until I read this post that I realized the marbled top was a result of improvisation. Thank you again, Deb!
Happy to report these came out great with gluten-free flour (I used Trader Joe’s all purpose). Thanks for the inspiration, Deb!
Overflowed and stuck to pan. If I made again, I’ll either make sure to use less batter per or add non-stick spray to top of pan too. From the sample of crumbs, they taste pretty good.
Mine cratered/collapsed! Anyone know why? They were very full–maybe that was a mistake.
Made these after your Instagram post….they are amazing! I was so excited I dumped all the ingredients in the bowl – dry first, blended and then all the individual wets. I was worried they wouldn’t turn out but they were perfect. Best cupcakes ever! They were great warm but yes even better after being in the fridge over night.
Made these today- delicious! However, if you don’t want them to wildly overflow, I would suggest making 16. I had 12 very large ones, and two normal. I don’t think they need all the chocolate chunks in the cream cheese, either. Mini chocolate chips were a nice size, and we used about 1/3 cup. Much more would have distracted from the cheesecakes filling- yum!
Hi Deb,
Is there any way to avoid the vinegar here? Thanks for all the great recipes.
I made these last night, and they are really good, rich and soft, highly edible!
I would like to try to make them again without the swirl technique, just because I couldn’t get the swirl to look that good, and I would like a bigger bite of the cream cheese. ( :
Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration!
I made these! Filled pan as suggested and got 12 but probably would fill a little less next time to make 13-14. I had to bake longer than recipe called for, an extra 10 minutes or so (kept checking with toothpick.) These in my opinion were somewhat dry. If I made them again, I’d probably add some olive oil or applesauce to the batter. Also the chocolate flavor was very light, but hey if that’s your thing, great! Recipe mentions eating them cold (which I LOVE cold cheesecake!) but I actually enjoyed them warm better to melt the chocolate chips to get more of a chocolatey taste and help with the dryness of the cupcake.
why would you want to add olive oil when there’s already enough oil in the batter? My guess is you may have overmixed them. I had to bake mine for almost 45 mins and, apart from a slightly crunchy top (which softened during the rest in the fridge), they were super moist and tender.
I only had Dutch cocoa and used this without changing anything else – same amount of baking soda and vinegar – and they puffed up nicely AND had a wonderfully intense chocolate taste – and were very dark too.
Glad yours turned out well. My suggestion was because mine turned out dry, like my comment mentioned. Extra oil, applesauce or even some milk may have added extra moisture and that’s what I’d try personally if I were to make them again.
yes – and that’s why I suggested that the problem may have been overmixing. Other commenters pointed out that as well. Keep in mind that if you add something to the batter, you’ll end up with an even more “diluted” chocolate taste.
Thanks for this post and I will try the recipe with dutch processed cocoa since that is the one I have in stock, I will report the results later. Maybe Deb can add extra notes at the bottom of the recipe.
I’m so surprised they came out dry! The chocolate basically follows the formula of a wacky cake (I make a version of one here), which are usually so moist (no egg to toughen them) and plush (because the batter is so wet) that people have complained about that. I wonder if something else happened, or at you maybe at altitude? Regardless, glad you enjoyed them. No harm in tweaking if you didn’t.
I have fond memories of my mom’s Black-Bottom Cupcakes from childhood, but this version didn’t do the trick for me. Unfortunately I found the cupcake base dry and bland. I tried to be careful, but perhaps I overmixed the batter.
Just Curious, why not use Dutch Processed cocoa?
Thanks!
Baking soda needs an acidic ingredient to “activate.” Dutch process is neutralized, not acidic. Natural (Hershey’s or other American brands) cocoa is.
Hi, Deb —
I just sifted Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa into my bowl … and then discovered that its label says “Dutched Cocoa.” Yikes! If I add maybe 1/2 tsp. of baking powder, will that react with the vinegar to make these cupcakes, instead of hockey pucks?
I really wanted to make these last week and only had dutched cocoa, so I left out the baking soda and put double the amount of baking powder. I didn’t know what to do about the vinegar, so I left it out and put a tbsp of plain yogurt in instead, as a kind of compromise. They turned out lovely – maybe a little denser than the original but still delicious.
I made these for a friend’s birthday. The supermarket only had 180g packs of philadelphia so I just used the smallest large egg in my pack and it worked just fine! I also added the vanilla hummingbird frosting to them…. it was delicious and they probably didn’t need them, but birthdays deserve frosting. Can’t believe the cake mixture doesn’t have egg in it! I’ll try them next time with aquafaba instead of egg in the cheesecake for my sister who is allergic. Thanks for the recipe!
I was hoping for better with these. The cake part of this was a bit dry for my taste. I can’t fault the cheesecake part as it is my favourite recipe reduced (Three cities of Spain). I’m addicted to the chocolate cake recipe (sour cream) that the peanut butter chocolate cake uses, but it’s so moist I’m not sure how it would support the heavy cheesecake component. I’d like to see Deb combo the two to see if it can improve the moistness of the cake.
I made this, and they are yummy! Not too sweet, very chocolatey (full disclosure, I might have added a little extra chocolate). I put around a tablespoon of cake batter at the bottom, then around a teaspoon of cheesecake mixture on top, and then another teaspoon of cake batter on top. It yielded 18 cupcakes, and would recommend these proportions so as not to overfill. I swirled the first batch, and they looked good (I did go a bit deeper than recommended). Second batch I did not swirl, and they look a little messy. Overall I’m quite pleased with them and would recommend the recipe.
I made these last night for my inlaws, who are always excited dessert eaters. They were a big hit, despite my father in law being skeptical about not having frosting. The quote was “these literally melt in your mouth” and alas many cupcakes were eaten. They were also pretty easy and look very fancy! Thank you!
I followed the recipe exactly- except the only difference is I made 18 cupcakes instead of 12. That used all the chocolate base exactly and I ended up with just about a cup left of cream cheese mixture. I also left these in the over for about 3.5 mins longer than the recipe calls for and they turned out perfect!
These are absolutely delicious. I am not a baker, but when I read this recipe it sparked my interest – love them! They came out fine. I did not have a vegetable oil that was flavorless, so I substituted ghee and it was yummy. Thank you for sharing these!
I’ve been making a very similar recipe since 1984 (!). My recipe uses 1 T less cocoa, 1/2 C oil (instead of 1/3), and white sugar instead of brown. Also twice as many chocolate chips in the filling plus a pinch of salt.
AND it suggests filling 18 cupcake cups instead of 12. Mine turn out to just dome at the top of the cupcake cups, so it’s a good fit.
I just made these today – my son has been requesting these for his birthday for about 25 of his 31 years. They’re delicious. I’m mailing some off to him tomorrow and unfortunately (NOT) they won’t ALL fit in the box.
Lately I’ve been packing them in Glad or Ziplock mini-rounds (1/cupcake) and then mailing in the shoebox sized Priority Mail box from the Post Office.
Absolutely delicious and sooooo easy to make! Will definitely make them again and again!
Omg – I made these yesterday and they are out of this world good. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe Deb! I agree with you and others that these are best served cold, they remind me of the cream cheese brownies I make every year for Christmas but they are easier to make. I can’t wait to share these with my kids (if they last that long). I’m trying the minis next!
Delicious, but mine tend to sink after taking them out of the oven. They rise nicely, are done, and taste delicious so I guess we will eat them this way.
Hey, made these in time for Halloween! The texture was perfect. Is there a way to make it more “chocolaty”? I followed the recipe 100%. A friend suggested I add some espresso powder. I am holding off on making another batch until the baking universe reaches out to me. Many thanks!
What are you on about silly billy?! They look to die for!
So delicious! My grandmother made these every year for my birthday. Love making them in cupcake form!
Just wondering what it means to stir the wet ingredients “until smooth” in this context – is it ok to have lumps? I’m afraid to overmix, since you specifically warned against it, but I had LOTS of lumps. I’m a little worried about how they’ll come out!
You can mix until the lumps disappear; it won’t be overmixed.
What is the best cooling technique for these? Keep in tin for 5 mins? 10? Then transfer to cooling rack? Or go right from tin to cooling rack?
You can let them cool completely in the tin if you wish.
Thank you for the note about keeping them unrefrigerated! Deb/anyone, do you know if they can survive in the freezer?
They should freeze well!
My daughter has an egg allergy. I love these cupcakes and wanted to make them for her birthday party. Could I swap out the egg with Greek yogurt for the filling? Any other egg replacement recs?
I baked these today, so light and moist.
I was a little concerned about how runny my cream cheese filling was (I think UK cream cheese mustn’t be as stiff). Also, my cake mix was a little lumpy as I didn’t want to over mix, but I needn’t have worried about either, they came out perfectly!
I will definitely be making them again. Thank you for another great recipe!
I made these last night for a Halloween party and they were a hit! These cupcakes were so good! Tender and moist, the perfect balance of chocolate to cheesecake. Absolutely delicious! I had never heard of something like this, but they seemed right up my alley and I conveniently had all of the ingredients. How could I not try them when they were fated?
I made 12 standard size cupcakes, however, they turned out to be monster sized! Next time I would definitely use two pans and make 14-16 cupcakes. I don’t know that I’d add the third layer of chocolate to the top before marbling. It was a lot more effort to try to get the amount of batter even on top of each cupcake for a mediocre visual appeal.
When beating the cream cheese mixture is it better to use the whisk attachment or the flat head attachment on the stand mixer? I started with the flat and switched to the whisk, but still had some lumps in the cream cheese. Both my cream cheese and egg were at room temp. I had this problem the last time I tried to make a cream cheese frosting, but thought it was because I didn’t sift my powdered sugar, but had the same problem here.
Halloween night. Just made these. Brilliant. Husband literally ate four in fifteen minutes. These won’t make it until midnight.
Could you use reeses pieces for a halloween effect in place of the chocolate chips?
These came out perfect! Yum. Thank you. Will make them often from now on. Never had these before.
I made this the other day, and they were great. I just noticed; however, that the instructions call for baking powder and the recipe does not. Which is correct? I made them without baking powder.
There’s 1 teaspoon baking soda in the “For the cupcakes” portion of ingredients, and it’s called for in the instructions: “In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.”
My first time making black-bottomed cupcakes, and they were a hit! Made them for a friend’s birthday in the park potluck. Glad this mentioned being easy to schlepp, not needing frosting—made it so much easier, with the sunny day. I made these standard size, but slightly less batter (and somehow, leftover filling), so there were more than I’d thought and just the right size. They all came out nicely and looked great. Thanks, Deb!
Thanks, Deb, for another easy, crowd-pleasing dessert. I made this for a Covid era birthday, and did not bother to swirl or marble the top because I was in a hurry, but they turn out very similar to your picture: small bulge, no overspill. The recipe does produce more than 12 cupcakes will safely hold, so the extra went into a ramekin for leftovers noshing. Flavour is not too sweet. The look is dramatic. Best of all: no icing needed! If you don’t do overly sugary, fiddly desserts, this one’s for you.
I can only get dutch processed cocoa just now – has anyone had any success with this? Considering adding a pinch of cream of tartar…
thanks!
Hi Deb, how to best make these as MINI cupcakes?
thanks
Phyllis
Wonderfully!
I made this for a party yesterday and they were a success – moist, tasty, people liked them. No dryness, even though I had to whisk for a bit until it reached smoothness. Cheesecake mix was a bit liquid and spread out on top, but was still nice. Thanks for the recipe!
Someone asked if I could make them with a cheesecake filling in the centre. So it is a lovely bubble inside, not only on top. I’m wondering if anyone has experimented either with freezing dollops of cheesecake mix and plopping them in the middle or just putting it in the middle as is? With a higher proportion if cheesecake mix to cupcake maybe?
You’d probably have better luck chilling the whole bowl of cheesecake batter and using a small scoop when putting them together.
Hi Deb,
Could I bake it as a (small) cake rather then cupcakes?
Thanks!
I’ve done this. I just layered it and swirled a bit. It came out lovely
Thanks for this recipe, Deb! I need to make about 40 regular sized ones. Would you recommend doubling/tripling recipe or cutting any specific ingredients back? Thank you!
Just to say – this makes 10 good- sized ones when I make them. If it was me, I’d do double the recipe then do double again, rather than try to do a huge amount all at once. Good luck!
Could i make these without adding the chopped chocolate to the topping/filling ?
Do you think these could be made ahead and then frozen? I really want to make these for Halloween party however I find that baking the night before or day of a party is just too much for me when there’s lots of other things to do. So I prefer baked goods that can be made ahead.
Otherwise I will just save this for when I am just baking for myself :-)
I think these actually keep great in the fridge for a couple days.
I freeze these frequently, just after they’ve cooled, and they always defrost beautifully.
Any idea if this could be made in a 9×5 loaf pan?
I don’t see why not. I’ve made a cake out of the batter, before. I don’t bother swirling, just layer the cream cheese mixture between two layers of chocolate.
Delicious! And adorable too. I used a large ice cream scoop for the chocolate then a smaller one to put in the cream cheese batter and then swirled a little. So easy and like a brownie married a cheesecake 😊
I made this last night and they were delicious! I do think I must have overfilled them, because they sank in the middle a bit and also have quite a wide “top.” I’m also wondering if I should be making any high altitude adjustments and what those might be? They still tasted great – just didn’t look very pretty, haha.
I made these last night and they were delicious! However – they sank in the middle and had very large “tops”. Did I overfill them? Should I be making high altitude adjustments for these (and if so – what do you suggest)? Thanks!
Why not use dutch cocoa powder?
I have been making a version of this recipe since, well, 1983. The version shared with me uses white sugar rather than brown in the cake part. Otherwise the proportions are nearly identical. But it also recommends filling 18 regular sized cupcakes half full. I’ve made it that way for years to great acclaim. This might help with the messiness some complain of. Making some today for my son’s 32nd birthday – a tradition.
❤️ yes sounds about as long as I have known these. Agree with the sugar correction
Currently baking these. However I noticed my cream cheese, sugar, and egg never completely smoothed. It looked like it had curled….(?) is that possible?
My mom made these when I was a kid – for her work mates. I was always jealous. Filling was always plopped in the middle, and hers had frosting because… cupcakes. Love them!
I love this recipe, Black Bottom Cupcakes, often. Makes 12 perfect cupcakes.
I sometimes make the cupcake without the filling if I need a dairy free dessert.
I did cut back the sugar in the filling to 1/4 cup – it was just a tad too sweet, for me.
First of all, these were amazing! But, I had waaay too much filling leftover after filling 12 cupcakes with a heaping TBS each. So I had to make another batch of batter to use up the rest of the filling. Not a bad thing to have double the cupcakes, but a hassle nonetheless. Also, I found it easier to do one cupcake at a time, so I wasn’t worrying about if I would have batter left over to top it at the end.
Lastly, an interesting fact that I noticed as I was making the batter, it is the same as the old-fashioned Crazy Cake, also called WWII cake because it doesn’t have any eggs or dairy in it.