30 Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

It was just an average Friday morning. I lazily rolled out of bed around noon and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast for my sweet bunnies. I came across this note and it was for me! It was from my mom, asking me to bake cupcakes, conveniently located near the mixer. I was like, "what the heck, I wasn't actually going to do anything today anyway (no matter how much I told myself I was), I might as well help my mom out."

This recipe should be in every cupcake baker's repertoire. These cupcakes are at every bake sale and kindergarten birthday. Tasty chocolate cupcakes filled with a moist cheesecake-y center and chocolate chips. You know the ones I'm talking about.

I decided to use a hand mixer to make these cupcakes. The recipe is simple enough that you don't need the extra hands that a stand mixer allows you to have. First, you make the chocolate part. I used a normal size ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake cups. Then, you mix up the cream cheese filling. I used mini chocolate chips, mostly because that's what my mom left out for me, but they're perfect since you just put a little plop of the filling in the cupcake. The cream cheese won't be taken over by the chocolate chips. I used a mini ice cream scoop to put the filling into the middle of the chocolate part.

When the timer goes off, check your cupcakes. I stuck the toothpick into the all chocolate part. Only the one tray wasn't quite finished, but there's a good chance 25 minutes will be perfect for your cupcakes.

The kindergartner in me loves these cupcakes. I'm pretty sure every part of me loves these actually. The chocolate was tasty and moist. It makes you crave a glass of milk. And the cream cheese filling is yummy yummy. I remember being a kid and looking at the display of these cupcakes, no matter what event they were for, and trying to pick the one with most cream cheese-y goodness. There is no need for icing for cupcakes like these. They are stand alone amazing and should not be tampered with. Love them for what they are.

Chocolate Surprise Cupcake Ingredients
3 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2/3 c vegetable oil
2 c water
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Cupcake How to
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Stir in oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla until blended. Pour mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
3. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture into each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool.