Name: Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 13
Ingredients: For the cupcakes; 1 cup (128g) plain flour; 1/2 cup (40g) cocoa; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted; 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar; 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed; 2 eggs, at room temp; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 3/4 cup buttermilk; Chocolate Bark; 200 g chocolate of your choice(I mixed dark and milk); 120 g sweet biscuits; 60 g butter, melted; Filling and frosting; 250 g cream cheese, softened; 2 ¼ cup icing (confectioners / powdered) sugar; ½ cup cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 80 g unsalted butter, softened; The leftover cheesecake filling; ¼ cup cocoa (I used dutch processed for the colour)

Chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cream cheese frosting and a surprise cheesecake centre.

So it’s been a couple of months now without making a cupcake. Sniff! Well, this past weekend I thought it was time I remedy that indescribably appalling situation. I had a great excuse though. A work friend had a baby shower to go to which, of course, required cupcakes as any good event does.

Remember those cupcakes I was busy making, while darling hubby was cooking us those Braised BBQ Beef Short Rib Tacos? Well this is them. Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes. You’re totally welcome 🙂

Ok, so I don’t think I’ve met a cupcake I didn’t like but for chocolate, these are my favourite, favourite, favourite cupcakes. They’re moist and rich and perfectly tender. The melted butter and dark brown sugar make sure of that. When I made the chocolate cream cheese frosting the cocoa does take over the cream cheese flavour quite a lot so I felt the need to add a vanilla cheesecake centre.

I seem to have a difficult time NOT putting a filling in my cupcakes. I just like to take the opportunity to add more flavour. No, actually, I know what it is. I’m a frosting girl at heart (cake girl second).

True story; I actually eat cupcakes from the bottom up. I break off the bottom half and eat that, then when I eat the top half I can get a large amount of frosting with it. By removing the bottom half first the ratios are much, much betterer 🙂 Yer, right …. ok, moving on …

I made a chocolate bark to go on top (totally optional) with pieces of cheesecake biscuit base and then sprinkled it with sparkly gold edible glitter. So pretty. And there were leftovers so we demolished them too.

So how about it. Get baking, peeps 🙂 You know you need some Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes in your life.

This week last year

Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Creamy Lemon Fudge

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

1 hrs

These are rich and moist, perfect chocolate cupcakes with a dark chocolate buttercream.

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Sweets

Servings: 13

Author: Marie

Ingredients

For the cupcakes
1 cup (128g) plain flour
1/2 cup (40g) cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, at room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
Chocolate Bark
200 g chocolate of your choice(I mixed dark and milk)
120 g sweet biscuits
60 g butter, melted
Filling and frosting
250 g cream cheese, softened
2 ¼ cup icing (confectioners / powdered) sugar
½ cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80 g unsalted butter, softened
The leftover cheesecake filling
¼ cup cocoa (I used dutch processed for the colour)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F (160C fan) and line your muffin tins with paper cases. This recipe makes 13 cupcakes – a bakers dozen.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well to combine.
In a separate bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time and beating well after each. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Stir through gently until just combined. Now add half of the buttermilk, Mix gently again. Continue like this until all the flour and buttermilk is combined… just. It is important not to overmix or be too heavy handed otherwise your cupcakes will turn out dense and tough.
Fill the cupcake cases only to about half full. Bake in the oven for around 18-20 minutes, turning the pan around in the oven half way through to make sure they bake evenly. When a skewer inserted comes out with just a crumb or two, they are done.
Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack

For the Cheesecake Base

Place the biscuits in a sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin the crush them into crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix well.

Chocolate Bark

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Melt the 2 chocolates together in the microwave, in 30 second increments, stirring well between each until fully melted. Pour it onto the lined baking tray and spread out quite thinly with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Sprinkle the biscuit crumbs over the top and then glitter if using. Place in the freezer to set hard.
For the cheesecake filling* Add half of the cream cheese, ¼ cup of icing sugar , half the cream and the vanilla to a bowl and beat on high until smooth and fluffy. You will only use around 3 tablespoons to fill the cupcakes. The remaining filling will be added to the frosting.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut a small hole in the top of each in the centre and fill with a teaspoon of the cheesecake filling.

For the frosting

Add the remaining cream cheese, cream and cheesecake filling to the butter and beat well until smooth. Add the cocoa and beat again. Now add the rest of the sifted icing sugar ½ a cup at a time and beat well to incorporate, then give it a final beat for around 2-3 minutes on high to get it nice and smooth and whipped.
Top the cupcakes with frosting. Break the chocolate bark into shards and poke them into the top of your cupcakes.