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    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cupcakes / Black Bottom Cupcakes

    Black Bottom Cupcakes

    July 17, 2019 By Sam 87 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This is an old-fashioned recipe for classic Black Bottom Cupcakes! This is my grandmother’s recipe that I’ve been making and enjoying since I was a kid! It has a fudgy chocolate base and a rich cheesecake center loaded with mini chocolate chips! A chocolate-lover’s dream!

    black bottom cupcake on wood cutting board

    Black Bottom Cupcakes

    A few weekends ago I spent the afternoon at my grandmother’s house rooting through a giant shoebox of old recipes, as well as half a dozen of her favorite old cookbooks.

    It. Was. HEAVEN.

    Yellowed page after yellowed page of well-loved, butter-stained recipes, some hand-written and some typed. Favorite recipes I grew up enjoying and still love when she has a Sunday dinner from time to time. I left with dozens of recipes that I am so excited to share with you throughout the rest of the year.

    First up is these Black Bottom Cupcakes. I don’t know about you, but I lived for Black bottom cupcakes (or “black bottoms”, as we usually called them) as a kid. They’re surprisingly simple to make with an egg-free cupcake base. They’re low-maintenance (no frosting required) and humble in appearance, but so rich, decadent, and packed with flavor. With their fudgy cupcake bottoms and creamy cheesecake tops, they’re one of my favorite simple treats (like a cross between a chocolate cupcake and a mini cheesecake!)

    Two images: Black bottom ingredients (left), black bottom batter (right)  Ingredients for making black bottom cupcake batter

    How to Make Black Bottoms

    1. Make your cheesecake topping first. Stir the cream cheese and sugar together until well-combined and smooth (if you have softened the cream cheese enough you might be able to do this by hand, otherwise use an electric mixer). Add an egg, salt, and vanilla extract and stir everything together again. Finally, fold in mini chocolate chips.
    2. Prepare your cupcake batter! Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining wet ingredients.
    3. Portion out your batters. Scoop some chocolate cupcake batter into a cupcake tin that’s been lined with paper or foil liners. Fill each liner only ⅓ of the way full. Dollop 1 ½ Tablespoons of cheesecake filling into the top center of each cupcake.
    4. Bake until cheesecake is set and cupcakes are cooked through. Don’t over-bake or the cupcake portion will be dry and the cheesecake texture will deteriorate. Allow black bottoms to cool completely before enjoying. Personally I prefer mine when they have cooled completely and have been chilled in the refrigerator.

    Adding cheesecake batter on top of cupcake batter to make black bottoms

    Be Careful How Much You Fill Your Cupcake Liners

    Typically, black bottoms should have black bottoms (shocking, right?) and slightly sunken, decadent cheesecake tops. These were the black bottoms of my childhood and every church potluck.

    In order to achieve this, make sure that you do not over-fill your cupcake liners with chocolate cupcake batter. A third of the way full is sufficient, and if you fill the liners any further, the chocolate cupcake batter will swell up over the cheesecake filling and swallow it up completely (Please see example cupcakes below: the top one was filled halfway and the bottom one was filled properly, or ⅓ full).

    Also, you want a nice ratio of cupcake to cheesecake. If you have too much cupcake batter it overwhelms the flavor of the cheesecake.

    A black bottom cupcake that has been overfilled (top) and a black bottom cupcake that has been filled properly (below)

    That being said!

    Don’t panic if your cupcakes come out looking like the first cupcake! That cheesecake topping is still in there, it’s just a filling now instead of a topping. All is not lost, they just don’t look as traditional as they ought too.

    Also, Zach thought that my black bottom “successes” were actually the fails. Since he’s usually allowed to eat as many recipe fails as he wants, I had almost had a heart attack when I caught him chowing down on one of my most perfect successful cupcakes. In his opinion, the fails were the pretty ones!

    Pretty easy to see he didn’t grow up eating black bottom cupcakes! 🤦🏼‍♀️

    Black bottom cupcake with a bite out of it, showing cheesecake center

    Enjoy!

    More Recipes You Might Like:

    • Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Double Chocolate Muffins
    • Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Muffins
    • Brownie Cookies

    Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video at the bottom of the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make these Black Bottom Cupcakes in my own kitchen! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 150 recipe videos that you can watch for free!

    Black bottom cupcakes on marble surface

    Black Bottom Cupcakes

    An old fashioned recipe for black bottom cupcakes! This recipe makes soft, chocolatey cupcakes with a rich cream cheese center!
    Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO just below the recipe!
    4.96 from 23 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert, Cupcakes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 16 minutes
    Total Time: 41 minutes
    Servings: 24 cupcakes
    Calories: 151kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Cream Cheese Filling:

    • 8 oz cream cheese softened
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
    • 1 large egg
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 cup mini chocolate chips (170g)

    Bottoms:

    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190g)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
    • ⅓ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (31g)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup milk¹
    • ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil (80ml)
    • 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line two 12-count muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
    • Prepare cream cheese filling first by stirring together cream cheese and sugar until well-combined and not lumpy. Stir in egg, salt, and vanilla extract until completely combined.
    • Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

    To prepare chocolate batter:

    • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
    • Add milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract and stir until batter is smooth and well combined.
    • Evenly divide chocolate batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each liner only ⅓ full with batter.
    • Dollop 1 ½ Tablespoons of cheesecake batter onto the top of the chocolate batter in the center.
    • Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake for 16-18 minutes.
    • Allow to cool and then enjoy.

    Notes

    ¹I mentioned that this is my grandmother's recipe, but I did deviate in one way. Her recipe called for 1 cup water. After a lot of taste testing I decided I liked it best with 1 cup of milk instead.
    This recipe can be made into mini black bottom cupcakes. Fill liners of mini cupcake tin less than ½ full of chocolate batter then dollop 1-1 ½ teaspoons of cream cheese filling on top.Bake about 14-16 minutes. Will make 48 mini black bottoms.

    Storing

    I prefer these black bottoms when they are stored in the refrigerator (something about liking my cheesecake cold!). Make sure you store them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1500IU | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1.1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!
    « Strawberry Cobbler
    No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lenora

      June 26, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      I lost this recipe years ago and this recipe tastes the same as I remembered. 5 stars my grandson’s love them.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        June 27, 2022 at 9:17 am

        We’re so happy you found our recipe, Lenora! Enjoy ❤

        Reply
    2. Sonia O

      May 11, 2022 at 6:42 pm

      This recipe is excellent and perfectly balanced. I did not find it overly sweet at all. Everyone who has tried them loved them! One question, can this be made with the extra dark cocoa or the Dutch process?
      I did fill my cups too much and ran out of batter at 22 cups but they still turned out great, about 2/3 of them looked more chocolate than black bottomed but the flavor is the same so it doesn’t matter!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 16, 2022 at 4:02 pm

        Hi Sonia! I haven’t tried either here, but I think either one will work here. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Jeanette

      March 07, 2022 at 12:36 pm

      Found these overly sweet and quite surprised there is no egg in the cake batter. More fudgy than cake like.

      Reply
    4. Kara

      January 15, 2022 at 9:32 am

      Do you think I could use melted butter in place of the oil? I find I usually like my cakes better when I use melted butter

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 17, 2022 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Kara! You can, but the cupcakes could turn out a little dry.

        Reply
    5. Linda Thistle - Kenney

      December 14, 2021 at 4:36 pm

      Hi there, can these be frozen?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        December 15, 2021 at 11:05 am

        We don’t see why not! Just make sure to wrap them tightly and store in an airtight container/freezer bag. 😊

        Reply
    6. Betty

      November 04, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Hi there, in your recipe it calls for 1/3 cup of oil
      But your video say 1/2 cup of oil. What is the correct
      amount of oil. Thanks😊

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        November 04, 2021 at 5:17 pm

        Hi Betty! The written recipe will be correct here. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Brandi

      September 05, 2021 at 3:08 pm

      Can you use a boxed chocolate cake for the brownies portion of this recipe?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 05, 2021 at 9:17 pm

        While i haven’t tried it, I think that should be fine. Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
    8. Meg

      May 05, 2021 at 9:14 am

      Would these work well as mini cupcakes?

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 05, 2021 at 9:37 am

        Hi Meg! Yes they would, I provide instructions on how to make them mini in the recipe notes. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Patti Walsdorf

      April 19, 2021 at 9:56 am

      This was my mom’s favorite to make us. We always called them surprised filled cupcakes. The fails truly are if you can see the filling. The best are when the filling is all inside. I say this with how about family always make them. It’s really up to your family as to how you like them.

      Reply
      • Jodi

        June 14, 2021 at 11:37 pm

        You talked about this being your grandmother’s recipe and her using 1 cup of water but you prefer 1 cup of milk yet I don’t see this ingredient anywhere in the recipe? Thanks

        Reply
        • Sam

          June 15, 2021 at 3:54 pm

          Hi Jodi! It is there, below the salt in the “Bottoms” portion of the black bottoms recipe 🙂

    10. Blessie

      April 12, 2021 at 4:01 am

      4 stars
      Tried this today and my cupcakes were a bit dry. I made sure that the cupcakes were taken out of the oven before they were done. Btw, i reduced the sweetness because my family doesn’t like overly sweet desserts. Any tips? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 12, 2021 at 10:03 pm

        Hi Blessie! I’m so sorry to hear this. The sugar helps with the moisture of these cupcakes so that could potentially be the issue here.

        Reply
    11. Debbie

      March 14, 2021 at 9:41 am

      5 stars
      These are the best ever! A friend (she’s 83) shared this same recipe with me years ago and she too uses milk instead of water. I am going to experiment with this recipe in a Bundt pan. I haven’t tried this yet but I’m sure it will be wonderful!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 14, 2021 at 9:44 pm

        I can never get enough of these! I hope you love them. 🙂

        Reply
      • Brittany

        January 22, 2022 at 8:32 pm

        Im wondering if they should be cooked longer? I followed it and it still seemed like after 18 maybe need more time? What are your thoughts? Taste is good though.

        Reply
        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          January 24, 2022 at 2:35 pm

          Hi Brittany! If your oven runs cool, your cupcakes may take a little longer. Just keep an eye on them 😊

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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