These Black Bottom Cupcakes are marbled masterpieces that will melt in your mouth when you take a bite! They are rich, chocolatey, super moist, and filled with the creamiest chocolate chip cream cheese filling ever!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These cream cheese-filled black bottom chocolate cupcakes were one of my favorite treats as a kid, and they still are today as an adult!
They’re an easy-to-make classic recipe that gives you over two dozen moist, rich chocolate cupcakes with a luscious cream cheese filling topped with semisweet chocolate chips. It’s both a cake and a cheesecake in one, and the best part—no frosting is needed!
They’re perfect for birthday parties, family gatherings, book clubs, and holidays. And trust me, they’re so good, as soon as you make them, they’ll disappear! If you’re having a smaller gathering, you can halve this recipe or enjoy my Small Batch Black Bottom Cupcakes, which make only six!
For more crowd favorites, try my Devil’s Food Cupcakes, Red Velvet Cupcakes, or Mint Chocolate Cupcakes!
Table of Contents
Ingredients Needed
I recommend using the following ingredients to make these easy black bottom cupcakes. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. You can also use white vinegar as a substitute. The vinegar is needed to work with the baking soda. This power duo releases carbon dioxide, causing the batter to rise into fluffy cupcakes. Don’t skip this ingredient.
- Baking Soda. It’s best to test this ingredient beforehand to make sure it’s still good. Take a spoonful of baking soda and mix it with a little vinegar or lemon juice. You’ll know it’s still fresh if it fizzes. If it barely reacts, then it’s time to replace it.
- Cream Cheese. Use full-fat cream cheese in bar form and not the kind sold in tubs. My go-to has always been the original Philadelphia cream cheese brand. Make sure this is softened to room temperature before starting the recipe.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. You can also use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, regular-sized, or mini chips! My favorite brand is Ghirardelli, but honestly, any brand will work well here.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. I used Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder, but use whatever brand you prefer. Do not substitute this for dutch process cocoa powder, as it will not react with the baking soda.
How to Make the Recipe
Below is a brief overview of how to make this black bottom cupcakes recipe. For the full printable recipe, which can be prepared using either US customary or metric measurements using the toggle switch, visit the recipe card below.
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filling
Recipe Tip: Your cream cheese and egg should be at room temperature.
Step 1. Beat the cream cheese until nice and smooth. Add in the sugar and egg.
Step 2. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. You can place the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to add it to the batter, if you’d like.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe Tip: Have your oven preheated and your cupcake tins lined with cupcake liners. For the best results, use the middle oven rack for baking.
Step 1. Whisk the dry ingredients together. This includes flour, baking soda, unsweetened cocoa powder, and sugar.
Step 2. Add in the wet ingredients. This includes eggs, vegetable oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix together until just combined. The batter will be on the runnier side.
Step 3. Fill the cupcake liners. Fill no more than 1/2 full using a cookie scoop.
Step 4. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling. If desired, you can add a couple more chocolate chips.
Step 5. Bake the black bottom cupcakes for 22-24 minutes at 350ºF. Every oven is different, so be sure to begin checking your cupcakes at the earliest recommended time.
Step 6. Remove then cool. Leave the cupcakes in the tins for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Lumpy Cream Cheese Troubleshooting
Here are a few helpful tips to try if you run into the dreaded lumpy cream cheese while making these black bottom cupcakes.
- Microwave it. In a microwaveable bowl, add the cream cheese mixture and heat for 10-15 seconds at a time to help melt it. Avoid heating it for too long, as you don’t want to cook the egg. Whisk the mixture again until the lumps have dissolved.
- Try a food processor. Place the cream cheese mixture into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.
- Start over. The warming method has worked for me in the past, but sometimes nothing seems to fix it; in that case, I would say to just start over. This time, with room-temperature cream cheese and a room-temperature egg.
Helpful Tips
- Your eggs should be at room temperature before starting to ensure they incorporate into the batter.
- The cream cheese should be softened to room temperature. If it’s still even the slightest bit cold, it will leave small lumps in the filling and look like cottage cheese.
- Be careful not to overmix the cupcake batter, as you risk overdeveloping the gluten, leading to dense, tough cupcakes.
- Fill the cupcake liners only halfway full to leave room for a dollop of cream cheese filling.
- I highly recommend having an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is calibrated to the correct baking temperature.
- This easy black bottom cupcake recipe can easily be made in a 13″ x 9″ x 1″ baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.
- This recipe yields approximately 30 cupcakes. If this is too many, you can halve the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe makes approximately 30 cupcakes. You can either halve the recipe or try my Small Batch Black Bottom Cupcakes recipe instead!
Yes! You can make this recipe as a sheet cake in a 13″ x 9″ x 1″ baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.
No, and they should not be used interchangeably. Apple cider is for drinking during the fall season. Apple cider vinegar is used in baking as an acid that reacts with the baking soda to create an aerated texture to the cupcakes.
You can use distilled white vinegar as a substitute.
More Crowd-Pleasing Cupcake Recipes
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Easy Black Bottom Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg, room temperature
- 6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, or white vinegar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filling
- Adjust the baking rack to the middle or center position, then preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard cupcake tins with cupcake liners. This recipe makes approximately 30 cupcakes, so you will need to use one of the cupcake tins a 2nd time.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes).8 oz Cream Cheese
- Add in the granulated sugar and egg and continue to mix until completely blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 Large Egg
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Set it to the side (either at room temperature or you can place it in the refrigerator).6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and granulated sugar on low-medium speed .3 cups All-purpose Flour, 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 2 tsp Baking Soda, 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- On low speed, add in the eggs, vegetable oil, water, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. The batter will be on the thin, runnier side.2 Large Eggs, 2/3 cup Vegetable Oil, 2 cups Water, 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Using a cookie scoop, fill the cupcake liners no more than 1/2 full, then top with 1-2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling. Bake for 22-24 minutes at 350ºF.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the cupcake tin. Then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can also be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze on a baking tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Video
Notes
- Your eggs should be at room temperature before starting.
- The cream cheese should be softened and at room temperature. If it’s even the slightest bit cold, it can leave small lumps in the filling and look like cottage cheese.
- Fill the cupcake liners only halfway full to leave room for the dollop of cream cheese filling. If you overfill them with cupcake batter, it will bake over the cream cheese filling.
- Alternatively, you can halve this recipe to get roughly 15 cupcakes.
- These black bottom cupcakes can also be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze on a baking tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- This recipe can easily be made in a 13″ x 9″ x 1″ baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Recipe adapted from the 1992 St. Andrew’s Heavenly Delights Cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
I used to make these as a special treat for the kids at Christmas every year but now they are all grown and have children and THEY dont do sweets, esp with white flour. Well, I am making a cake tonight and thought I could make the cream cheese filling and swirl it into the cake….. I will let all know how it turns out..
Very good and moist! Definitely make again. I cut out 1/2 cup of sugar this time and will add some salt next time. Great for breakfast too. Thanks for the recipe.
If I bake in a 9×13 pan do I grease and flour it?
Yes, I definitely would!
Hi, just wondering if I can use spreadable cream cheese for this recipe? Thank you
Hi! No, I don’t recommend using a spreadable (tub) cream cheese for this recipe. It tends to have higher water content and, with some, more salt. They’re really just meant for adding to bagels, etc. For baking, it’s always best to use a block.
Hi, these look delicious! There’s only 3 of us at home, so if the recipe is halved, should I still use a 13×9″ pan for baking? Or would a 8″ pan be better? Any idea on the baking time?
Also, does this cake freeze well? Thank you!
Hi! Thank you so much! I’m sorry I’m not sure what pan size would be best or baking time for halving this recipe as I didn’t test it this way. I’ve never frozen the cupcakes before, but I imagine they would freeze well. I would suggest double wrapping them in plastic wrap them keep them stored in an airtight container.
Making these for a kids birthday. Can they be frosted??
Hi! Yes, they can be, but I’ve never had them this way. The cream cheese filling basically gives them that sweet balance frosting will do with a regular chocolate cupcake. If you do frost them I wouldn’t go super heavy with the frosting or it might end up being overly sweet. Hope this helps!
I just made these, they were great but my cream cheese mix was a bit watery and 2 I did not see my chips at all. Like they melted. Would love to try they again.
Just saw this now and would love to try it. Was wondering if I can cut down the sugar in the cupcake batter to just 1 cup? Or if you have any alternatives for it? Thank you!
Hi Donna, no I’m sorry I don’t have any alternatives. Because this makes close to 30 cupcakes, you could half the recipe, which would also then half the amount of sugar.
These are seriously delicious! And so easy to make. Will definitely be making them again.
Thank you so much, Kat!
Perfect recipe, exactly as is.
Thank you for making them, Carol! They’re my all time favorite cupcake!