Black Bottom Cupcakes

My friend is an avid baker. She makes the loveliest sweets and so I'm taking the liberty in sharing some of her recipe here.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Cream Cheese Filling

v 12-oz cream cheese, room temperature

v 1/3 cup sugar

v Pinch of salt

v 2 medium egg whites, room temperature

v 2 tbsp sour cream, room temperature

v 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips (not full size*)

Cake

v 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

v 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

v 1 1/4 cups sugar

v 1/2 tsp salt

v 1 1/4 tsp baking soda

v 3/4 cup sour cream

v 1 1/3 cups water

v 1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

v 1 tsp vanilla extract

1.     Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

2.     Cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar and salt until smooth. Beat in egg whites and sour cream. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

3.     Cupcake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Combine sour cream, water, butter and vanilla. Make a well in the center and slowly add in the liquid ingredients, stirring together until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.

4.     Divide cake batter evenly among 24 cupcake liners. Top each portion of batter with 1 rounded tablespoon cream cheese mixture (It is ok to have a little left over).

5.     Bake for about 40-50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the side (cake only part) should come out with a few moist crumbs on it. Rotate pans halfway through baking if you are using two racks.

6.     Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Cream cheese filling should sink slightly in this time. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

*Full-sized chocolate chips will sink to the bottom of the cupcakes, while miniature chips will remain suspended in the cream cheese center.