Black-Bottom Cupcakes

What's better than a chocolate cupcake? A chocolate cupcake filled with cream cheese!

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
Salt
1 large egg
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups water, and stir until smooth.

Fill each baking cup two-thirds full with the cake batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake until the edges are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen.

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

Mom's Chocolate Cake

My mom got this recipe from a church cookbook when I was a kid. I used to make it for bake sales at school, and teachers would compete to buy the entire cake at once! I recently learned that it is quite similar to a Depression-era recipe for "wacky cake."

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 375. In an 8x8 baking pan, mix dry ingredients. Make a well in center and add wet ingredients; stir to combine. Bake for 25 minutes.

Variation: For a 9x13 pan, double the recipe and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.