Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A dark cocoa cupcake with a creamy, slightly sweetened cheese center studded with mini chips. Bakes to a tender crumb with the classic tangy pop from vinegar and vinegar’s lift. The cream cheese mix stays slightly firm, offering a contrast to the moist cake. Easily stored, freezes well, thaw slowly. Small tweaks in sugar and flour alter texture. Visual cues like cracked tops or toothpick clean pull dictate doneness better than timers alone.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
18 min
Total:
30 min
Servings:
22 servings
#cupcakes
#chocolate
#cream cheese
#baking tips
#desserts
#American cuisine
Started messing with black bottom cupcakes after too many flat-tasting cocoa muffins. Cream cheese center? Game changer. The balance of sharp tang from cream cheese with sweet batter hits every craving note. Tried sour cream once — meh, too dense. Vinegar adds lift and brightness without an aftertaste. Mini chips inside the cream cheese add surprise bursts, personally prefer dark chips over semisweet. Temperature control matters; too hot and cream cheese center oozes out or cracks open wide. Lined pans with paper liners only—not foil—to avoid sogginess. Cool timing tricky, watch texture not clock. These muffins freeze well, huge bonus for batch cooking or last-minute desserts.
Ingredients
- 11/8 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola or light olive oil works)
- 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 10 tablespoons granulated sugar (reduce from 12 tablespoons)
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (sub dark for twist)
About the ingredients
Sift the cocoa powder and flour for lighter texture. Using oil keeps cupcakes moist longer than butter here; olive oil adds a subtle richness if you want an extra earthy undertone. Vinegar is essential for the lift; white or apple cider both work; do not skip. Cream cheese softened but not too warm—room temp for 30 minutes works better than microwave blur. Cutting sugar in cream cheese mix reduces weepiness but keeps sweetness balanced. Mini chips can be swapped for finely chopped nuts or dried fruit chunks for variety. Store cupcakes airtight to prevent drying. If baking at altitude, increase flour 1-2 tablespoons for stability.
Method
- Heat oven to 345°F. Line two muffin tins, about 22 liners total. Paper liners only; foil causes uneven baking.
- Whip cream cheese and sugar together in a medium bowl with handheld mixer on med-high for 40 seconds, no lumps remaining. Add egg and 3/4 tsp vanilla, blend just until no streaks, avoid over mixing or it’ll crack while baking. Fold in chocolate chips gently but fully. Set aside.
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Make sure to sift cocoa powder for no clumps.
- Add water, oil, vinegar, and 1 tsp vanilla to dry mix. Whisk briskly until batter is uniform and slightly thick but pourable. Over mixing can cause dense cupcakes. Watch for batter sheen and swirl.
- Portion batter into liners filling roughly one third full—about 1 1/2 tablespoons each. Dollop 2 teaspoons cream cheese mix in center of each. Don’t overfill or cream cheese sinks.
- Bake 18-21 minutes. Start checking at 18. Use toothpick; if inserted into cake portion it comes out clean, done. Ignore toothpick if it has cream cheese on it. Cupcake tops turn shiny, feel just set to touch but spring back slightly.
- Cool in pans 8-10 minutes; cups will firm up as steam escapes. Transfer to wire rack for full cool. Room temp ensures cream cheese sets without sweating.
- Store chilled up to 3 days. Freeze airtight up to 2 months. Defrost in fridge overnight; warm to room temp before serving for best texture.
Cooking tips
Mix cream cheese blend until smooth to prevent lumpy pockets that don’t bake properly. Avoid over beating once egg added to keep structure intact. Dry ingredients whisked enough to combine and aerate; too much mixing after wet added can toughen gluten. Batter should be viscous, like yogurt, not runny. Fill liners carefully so cream cheese sits centered—not touching edges or bottom—so it bakes evenly without melting into batter more than you want. Watch baking time closely; overbaking dries cupcakes, underbake leaves gooey middle. Visual cues like slight shine on tops and spring when poked better than timers. Cooling time in pan seals moisture; quick transfer avoids soggy bottoms. For freezing, wrap well in plastic then aluminium foil.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Start with softened cream cheese; not warm or cold. Too cold lumps, too warm runny mix. Whip cream cheese and sugar first on med-high until smooth no lumps avoid over mixing after egg added or cracks form during bake. Mini chips fold gently—don’t break or sink. Sensory cue here: cream cheese mix thicker than batter but scoopable.
- 💡 Sift cocoa and flour separately. Cocoa often clumps, ruins crumb structure. Dry mix whisk enough to aerate but stop once combined; over mixing after adding wet risks dense cupcakes. Batter consistency toward yogurt; thick but pourable. Watch batter shine, swirl pattern. Pour carefully; liners fill one third only. Overfill, cream cheese sinks or leaks out.
- 💡 Vinegar essential; adds tang and lift, no aftertaste. Works whether white or apple cider. Skipping vinegar causes flat crumb. Oil choice matters here. Canola or light olive preferred. Olive oil adds subtle earthiness—skip if fruity notes unwanted. Water temp room temp makes batter uniform; cold slows mixing, hot accelerates gluten toughening.
- 💡 Bake at 345°F. Temperature lower than typical cupcake bakes. Watch tops shine, test spring back on touch. Toothpick test only cake portion; don’t trust if cream cheese on it. Cream cheese looks shiny and set but still soft; too firm means overbaked. Cracked tops normal, shows rise and set.
- 💡 After baking cool in pans 8-10 minutes; steam escapes, cupcakes firm up. Transfer to wire rack for full cool. Cooling at room temp avoids cream cheese sweating out moisture. Store airtight in fridge or freeze well wrapped. Defrost slow overnight in fridge for texture preservation. Avoid microwave thawing.
- 💡 Sugar in cream cheese mix reduces from 12 to 10 tablespoons cuts weepiness, keeps balanced sweetness. Adjust flour 1-2 tablespoons if baking at altitude. Folding chips or nuts slow and steady—too rough breaks down cream cheese mix. Mini chips optional; nuts or dried fruit chunks swap possible; texture changes. Baking liners must be paper; foil causes soggy bottoms.
- 💡 Overmixing wet and dry causes toughness. Whisk dry then add wet; stir gently but fully. Batter should cling to spoon thickly but pour slowly. Use visual cues: batter swirl smooth, light sheen. Cupcakes baked till tops shiny, slightly springy, toothpick clean excluding cream cheese. Baking time 18-21 minutes but start checking early.
- 💡 Cream cheese center sensitive to temp. Too hot in oven causes oozing or cracks open wide. Lower temp even a bit helps. Cupcake surface should stay slightly springy, not firm hard when touched. Push finger lightly; springs back slightly means done. Cooling time seals moisture. Transfer out of pans quickly after brief cooling to avoid soggy bottoms. Wrap well for freezer storage.
Common questions
Why use vinegar in batter?
Adds lift, tang sharpness. No aftertaste usually. Helps cocoa flavor stand out. Skip and crumb flattens, less moist. Can use apple cider or white vinegar. Either works fine. Key for texture not just flavor.
Can I swap oil for butter?
Butter changes texture—cupcakes denser, less moist over time. Oil keeps moist longer. If using butter, melt and cool first. Olive oil adds subtle earth tones; skip if fruity note unwanted. Oil also impacts batter thickness and rise. Adjust moisture accordingly.
Cream cheese mix cracks while baking, why?
Over beaten egg or blending after egg causes cracks. Mix until no streaks but not fully smooth. Overmixing causes breakdown, sets unevenly, cracks form. Keep fold gentle when adding chips. Temperatures too high also cause cracks, watch oven temp closely.
How to store leftovers?
Chill fridge airtight up to 3 days best. Freeze airtight wrapped up to 2 months. Thaw overnight fridge, then warm to room temp before serve. Avoid microwave unless emergency. Improper storage causes dryness, weepiness from cream cheese moisture loss. Wrap tight with plastic then foil for freezer.
