Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Chocolate-Cream Cheese Cupcakes


Hidey-ho.

Never mind anything that I wrote in the last post about giving sugar the stiff arm.

I'm still trying (seeking, attempting, striving, purposing) to stay away from the granular-and-deliciously addictive stuff, but after I found my boys crying at the pantry doors for "something yummy" and my (trim and lean) husband decry that he was losing weight (?!?!?!), I decided to give dessert one more whirl (for them of course....wink, wink). 

How do you implement a life change for yourself without roping in your family who, unlike yourself, is free of emotional issues with food?  I only need to block myself, not my kids and husband, from the way I've made food (mostly sugar) my secret lover. 

Arrrggggghhhh.  

Anyway.  No one needs to bother with flogging me because I'm excellent at doing that to myself. 

Just do me a favor and make these (easy, delicious) cupcakes for yourself and your family.  

Super simple ingredients:  Cake mix (plus the stuff you need to prepare it according to the package instructions), cream cheese, an egg, chocolate chips, and...dang it!...sugar. 
Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions.

Then, mix the egg, sugar and cream cheese until it's light and fluffy 
and you want to make out with it. 

Except you're a refined, dignified individual and would never admit to that. 
(Unlike yours truly.)
Line your muffin tins with paper, if you are so inclined.

And fill about 2/3rds full with the chocolate cake mix. 

Then.  THEN.  Mix some chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture.  
(De bigger de chocolate, de better.)

And slop a plop of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the cake mix.  
(About a tablespoon...)
 Bake for about 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Don't overbake them, for goodness sakes!

No need to ice these babies.  


Just bite right into their velvety lusciousness. 

Here's the printable recipe.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 (18.25-ounce) box chocolate cake mix, batter prepared according to package directions
24 cupcake liners

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
12-ounces (1 bag) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill twenty-four muffin cup liners (in muffin tins) about two-thirds full with the cake batter.  

To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, egg, sugar, and salt in a mixer bowl and beat until creamy.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Put a heaping tablespoonful of the filling into the center of each cupcake.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (but remember it won't look done if you poke a melted chocolate chip...).  Don't overbake.  

From Goodness Gracious:  Recipes for Good Food and Gracious Living

7 comments:

Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust said...

So beautiful! I can almost taste that fudgy chocolatey cream cheese goodness. I want one, now. :)

Rita said...

I have to try these; what a perfect cupcake; your photos are fantastic.
Rita

Mary Bergfeld said...

These look wonderful. This is my first visit to your blog and based on this post decided to take some time to browse through your blog. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Cathy M~(checkitoff) said...

Wow this looks like the perfect dessert for hubby whose bday is 4 days away! woot woot ! yummy yummy! hugs, cathy

Caneel said...

Mmmmmm - this recipe is very similar to one I love and only allow myself to make once every few years b/c I'll eat ALL of them after my family has had a few ...

Melissa J said...

Do you know if the middle stays liquid-y for a day or 2? I'm thinking these would work nicely for an upcoming event I'm attending, but I would be baking them the day before. Also, scratch chocolate cake mix would work, right?

Ginny said...

Hi Melissa. Thanks for your comment. I'm not sure if the middle would remain "molten" after the cupcakes have cooled. It's been a while since I've prepared them. BUT...even if the center isn't runny, these cupcakes are rich, moist, and just wonderful all-around. I think they'd work well for your upcoming event. And yes-- "from scratch" chocolate cake batter would probably taste even better than the boxed version I used in this recipe.