Black Bottom Cupcakes with Valrhona Chocolate

A friend brought these cupcakes to a party and they were the best I had ever tasted.  She recommended using Valrhona Unsweetened Baking Powder which I found at Berkeley Bowl.

The combination of the chocolate cupcakes with the creamy cream cheese mixture is a delectable example of ebony and ivory in sweet harmony.

 Combine in bowl:
1 cup (8 oz pkg) cream cheese with
1 unbeaten egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt....beat well
Stir in 1 6 oz. pkg. chocolate morsels

Sift together:
3 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa (recommended Valrhona Unsweetened Baking Cocoa Powder 100%)
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt

Add:
2 cups water
2 tsp. vinegar
2/3 cup cooking oil
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients together.  Fill muffin cups with 1/3 batter and top each with a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees.  Check with a toothpick.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Enjoy!