Who doesn’t love a great cupcake, am I right? I am excited to share with you this recipe for black bottom cupcakes because they are delicious but different.
The reason these cupcakes rock is that there is no frosting needed! They are an uber-rich dark chocolate cupcake with a cheesecake-y top. Yum. The cheesecake aspect of the cupcake adds variety and uniqueness, and it also adds cuteness. I love the polka dot effect of the miniature chocolate chips, and every time that I make these cupcakes for an event people comment on how fun they look and then ask for the recipe.
This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from a cookbook that I love, More from Magnolia, written by the owner of the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York City. I have quite a few recipes that I have made from this cookbook that are now my go-to recipes.
I adapted this one because my elevation is so dramatically different between NYC and Denver, where I live. It was too dang dense using the original 1/2 cup of oil, so I increased it to 2/3 cup. It is still a very thick batter, so be ready for that. I increased the miniature chocolate chips and vanilla and I use the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder for personal taste preference reasons.
I hope that you enjoy these cupcakes as much as I do! Yum yum YUM.

- ¾ pound (1½ 8 oz packages) cream cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- 1¾ cups flour
- ¾ cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with 18 cupcake liners
- FIrst you will make the cheesecake portion. Begin by beating the cream cheese and ½ cup of sugar together thoroughly in a medium sized bowl.
- Add the egg to the mixture and beat well.
- Mix in the miniature chocolate chips and set aside.
- Next you will make the chocolate cake portion. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and sugar.
- Add the buttermilk and the vanilla and mix well.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well. The batter will be very thick.
- Spoon the chocolate batter into the cupcake liners so that the cups are about ⅔ full.
- Spoon a scoop of the cheesecake batter on top of the chocolate batter.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out of the cupcakes clean.
- Cool and serve.
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Amazing and delicious!!! Love the cheesecake on top with the chocolate on the bottom. Thanks for the recipe!! Yummy!!
Visiting from Link Party Palooza. These look amazing, I love the darkness of the base definitely a black bottom cake. I co-host Sweet and Savoury Sunday and would for you to stop by and share these and other recipes with us. Happy Easter, have a great weekend!
Looks yummy!, but if this recipe was adapted to use with your elevation, I don’t think I will be able to use it. I live on the east coast, where the original recipe would likely be more favorable. Could you post that original recipe please?
It was only different by about 1/8 – 1/4 cup flour. I made them one summer in Boston and it worked, so I think you’ll be ok! Just use a bit less flour. I’m out of town this week so I can’t look up the original recipe for you at the moment, but I’m 99.9% sure that’s the elevation change that I made.
Yummy Recipe! I am a huge chocolates and cupcakes lover and always in search of such recipes. This does not look very difficult and seems to have a great burst of flavors. Will definitely try it for myself and my family.
Thanks much 🙂
hi!
this looking so good
i have a question :the cupcake batter no contain any eggs?
how come?
thank you
I haven’t made them in a long time, and I’m not an expert baker, so I’m not sure why it works, but it does. They’ve always turned out great for me. Good luck!