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 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!)
How to Make Black Bottoms
- 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.
- Prepare your cupcake batter! Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in the remaining wet ingredients.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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! 🤦🏼♀️
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
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
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.
Ellwood Miller
Can you use this recipe and make in a 13 & 9 pan instead of cupcakes? Thanks Vail
Sam
I haven’t tried it but I think that could work. You would probably need to double the recipe. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Cynthia Tucker
Bless your Grandma for keeping recipes and Bless you for sharing!
These are phenomenal cupcakes. I still have 12 and my children are demanding I make more like they are running out.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Cynthia! 🙂
Amber
Awesome! And you made them on July 17th right? Did you know July 17th is my birthday? 🙂
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed them! I did publish this on July 17th. 🙂
Shannon
Hi! Thank you for the recipe! Just wondering, will the temp/time in oven be different if I use mini muffin tins instead of regular size?? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Shannon! The temperature will remain the same, but they will probably need less time in the oven. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure exactly how long they would need, just be sure to keep an eye on them. 🙂
Kendra
Do these need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese top?
Sam
They will be fine at room temperature for a few days. 🙂
Harry Smith
I have been making Black Bottoms for over 50 years. A friend made them one year for Christmas and I have been making them ever since I make my cake mix with water not milk. I have some vegans in my family so I make some with vegan cream cheese, imitation egg and vegan chocolate.
Kendra
My parents have been making these my whole life, but never use a recipe. Being 9 months pregnant and not wanting to deal with the phone call of them guessing the measurements of ingredients , I needed the recipe and I needed it fast (pregnancy cravings are no joke). Let me just say that these are delicious!!!! And definitely remind me of my parents. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Kendra! Congratulations and good luck! 🙂
Julie
I have two 6 count muffin tins. Can I make the first twelve. Then the next? Will
Batters survive? Do I need to cool tins before 2nd batch?
Sam
Hi Julie! You shouldn’t have any issues letting the batter rest while the first cupcakes cook. You do want to let the pans cool before adding batter. You definitely don’t want to add the batter to a hot pan. 🙂
Nikki
Does the milk have to be whole milk? Can you use 2 % ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nikki! Others have used 2% with success. 🙂
Joanna
Superb I was surprised that it tasted so good!my husband lives it too!will make it again!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Joanna! 🙂
Christina
Thanks for the recipe, mine are baking right now! One question though the written recipe list 1/3 cup of oil but in video you say 1/2 cup. Which should it be?
Sam
Hi Christina! The written recipe will be correct here. 🙂
Jane
I had never heard of black bottoms before until I saw your video on Facebook, and now have fallen in love with them!!!!! They are so easy to make and so tasty!! Both my hubby and I just can’t stop eating them! I also like them better cold, just out of the fridge.:) Thank you for sharing!!:D I’m adding your page as a favorite to try out more of your recipes!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jane! 🙂
Carmie M
I made this but I used water instead of milk and my family loved it!! They want me to make more 😂
Can I also use cake flour instead of APF? Or APF is better?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Carmie! I prefer all purpose flour but I’m sure cake flour would work here instead.
Carmie M
I’ll stick to APF then 😉 thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jana
Can’t wait to try these! For the person who can’t have egg, I’d recommend flax meal. My son has an egg allergy and flax meal is my favorite egg replacer. 1 tablespoon of flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water (to replace one egg) then let it sit for 5 minutes.
I’ll let you know once I try the recipe. These look delicious!
Sam
Thank you for the suggestion on the egg substitute, Jana! I hope you love the cupcakes 🙂
Bonnie C.
If I can’t have eggs, what would I do about the egg in the cream cheese portion? Substitute? Leave it out?
Help.
Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Bonnie! Unfortunately I am not sure what you could substitute here. I know some people use applesauce as an egg substitute but I’m not sure how it would turn out. 🙁
Bonnie C
Thanks for getting back to me. I’ll do some digging and let you know if I make any good discoveries!! 😃