Chocolate Cream Cupcakes

by Jamie Burks
(Lacrosse, Wisconsin, USA)

Filled with cream cheese, these chocolate cupcakes make a great treat - no icing needed.

Ingredients -

Filling:

1 egg
8 ounce cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 ounces mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet (optional)

Preparation -

Beat the eggs, cream cheese, sugar and salt together. Add the chocolate chips, if using, mix well, and set aside.

Batter:

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation -

Preheat oven to 350F (180C) degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix the water, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla together. Mix with an electric mixer until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and mix at medium speed for about two minutes.

Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Fill each cup about 1/3 to 1/2 full with the chocolate batter. Top each with a heaping teaspoon full of the cream cheese filling. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.