black bottom cupcakes

My hubby's all-time favorite dessert is Black Bottom Pie, like his Granny used to make. When I got the Crazy About Cupcakes book over a year ago, inside was a recipe for Black Bottom Cupcakes. I thought it was too good to be true - we found out that while they shared the same name they aren't exactly the same result, but veryverygood. Definitely in our top 5 favorite cupcakes!

Have one of your bestest Oreo taste-tester specialists place a cookie in the bottom of 24 cupcake liners. If you google "black bottom cupcakes" you can find the exact same recipe found in the book - but instead of using a chocolate cookie many add cocoa powder to the batter. Or use a cookie and cocoa powder. Adding a cookie gets you about half a dozen more cupcakes too because they take up more room. :)

Cream together 1 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 1 cup of water, then add 1 tablespoon white vinegar (some recipes online call for apple cider vinegar) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. In a separate bowl sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture.

In a medium bowl mix 8 oz of room temperature cream cheese, 1 large egg, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold in 1 cup of mini chocolate chips.

Fill the cupcake liners half full with the cupcake batter. This is where I'm wondering if there was an error in the book, leaving out the 1/3 cup cocoa powder found in so many of the other recipes online. It calls for filling the liners half full with the "chocolate batter" and then topping with a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. But either way, with cocoa powder or without, with a cookie or without, these are yummy. Trust me. ;)

After filling the liners halfway with the cupcake batter and topping with the cream cheese mixture, bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. The edges of the cupcakes will look puffed but the cream cheese should still look moist.

These don't last very long around here. After they've cooled and have been sufficiently taste-tested, refrigerate any leftovers (I think they taste even better after chilling in the fridge).