Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

These chocolate cream cheese cupcakes have a soft, from-scratch chocolate cupcake that bakes up around a sweet cream cheese and chocolate chip center. You may know them as black bottom cupcakes or black and white cupcakes, and they’re one of our family’s favorite chocolate desserts.

No frosting needed! The cream cheese filling does all the work, and these taste even better chilled, so they’re perfect to make ahead.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake Recipe

A sister dessert to our Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake, these Black and White Cupcakes are a fun and unique combination of our favorite chocolate and cream cheese desserts! The recipe comes from a vintage community cookbook, and we made it three times in one week because no one could stop reaching for another.

• Two desserts in one. Every bite has moist chocolate cake and a creamy, cheesecake-like center.
• No frosting required. The cream cheese filling bakes right in, so there’s nothing to pipe or spread.
• Simple pantry ingredients. The chocolate batter comes together with cocoa, oil, and vinegar, with no butter or eggs needed.
• Perfect individual portions. They’re easier to serve than a creamy dessert like our Chocolate Yum Yum, and they look so pretty on a dessert platter.
• Great for making ahead. They taste best chilled, so you can bake them a day early and have dessert ready to go.

As they bake, the chocolate batter rises up and around the cream cheese, which settles just slightly into the center. The result is a soft chocolate cupcake with a rich, chocolate-chip-studded white center peeking out on top.

Ingredients Needed

You’ll make two simple mixtures: a cream cheese filling and a chocolate cupcake batter. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Cream cheese: Full-fat brick cream cheese, softened, gives the creamiest center.
• Egg: Helps the filling set like a mini cheesecake.
• Sugar and salt: Sweetens the filling and balances the tang.
• Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet or mini chips both work. Save a few to sprinkle on top.

Chocolate Cupcake Batter

• Flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt: The dry base for a soft, tender chocolate cupcake.
• Water and vegetable oil: Keep the cupcakes moist for days.
• White vinegar: Reacts with the baking soda to help the cupcakes rise. You won’t taste it.
• Vanilla: Rounds out the chocolate flavor.

Step By Step Instructions

Two mixing bowls make this recipe quick and easy.

Make the cream cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and beat well.

Stir in 1 cup (6 ounces) of chocolate chips by hand and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, stir or sift together the flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add the wet ingredients. Add the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin, and that’s okay.

Fill the liners 1/3 full. Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to fill paper-lined muffin cups only one-third full with chocolate batter. Half full is too much and the cupcakes will take too long to bake.

Add the cream cheese. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each cup. Don’t spread it into a solid layer across the top. My son tried that when he made them on his own, and they didn’t bake or taste nearly as good.

1. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edge of the cream cheese just starts to turn light brown.

Dropping the filling in the center gives you a rich white center while the soft chocolate cupcake bakes up around the bottom and sides.

More Easy Desserts:

• Classic Chocolate Delight
• White Chocolate Cupcakes
• Apple Pumpkin Cake
• Blackberry Jam Cake