My love for black bottom cupcakes started when I worked for a catering company whose baker made what I believe was Baltimore’s best. To this day, over a decade later, I will never miss an opportunity to test out every black bottom I come across. Though I’ve yet to find one as decadent as the original, my love for the treat remains strong, and I’m happy to have found a foolproof recipe that satisfies my recurring craving.

I adopted this recipe from Joy of Baking and throughout the years I have had some fun with it. In this variation I add pumpkin puree to the cream cheese, which dollops over the chocolate batter and comes out of the oven with a show-stopping spooky twist. I do not call these Pumpkin Black Bottoms because you can hardly taste the pumpkin – but it is true, we eat with our eyes, and with these cupcakes our eyes and bellies are more than happy.

Also, as my seven year old family member said, these are not cupcakes – these are muffins. And just as I responded: tomato, tomato.

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Spooky Black Bottom Cupcakes

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Servings

Cupcakes

Spooky Black Bottom Cupcakes

For the Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
For the Chocolate Batter
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (188 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (35 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup melted butter (75 grams)*
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with baking spray, or line it with paper liners.
Add the cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, you can use an electric hand-held mixer. Cream the cream cheese on medium spread until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar, egg, vanilla, and pumpkin, and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Some small lumps are okay. Fold in the chocolate chips and set aside until needed.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the water, melted butter, vinegar, and vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients. Mix until smooth, being careful not to over mix.
Evenly divide the matter among the muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full, then spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons of cream cheese in the center of each. I like to go a little heavy on the cream cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cream cheese has set and a tooth pick comes out the center clean. Check after 25 minutes, these do not take very long!