Tuxedo Cheesecake Stuffed Cupcakes

When you can’t celebrate with a bottle of bubbly on New Year’s Eve, a delicious cupcake is the next best thing in my book!  Nothing rings in the new year like these Tuxedo Cheesecake Stuffed Cupcakes!

These cupcakes look fancy and are impressive when guests bite into them and see the cheesecake filling…but they are surprisingly simple!  (in fact, each time I’ve made them I’ve been asked where I bought them from)  If you’re in a pinch, you can use boxed cake make and store-bought frosting, but beware of nasty artificial and hydrogenated ingredients. 

Top these cupcakes with mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or cupcake toppers to make them special for any occasion.

May you have good health, much happiness and good food in the new year!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 2 ¼  cups  flour
• 1 ½  cup sugar
• ¾  cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾  tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
• ¾  cup milk
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup hot water

Cheesecake Stuffing:

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 8 ounces mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

2.      In a bowl with an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the remaining cupcake ingredients, finishing with the hot water. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and then divide the batter into the muffin tins.

3.     To make the stuffing, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a separate bowl.  Fold in the chocolate chips. Divide the stuffing into the cupcakes, dropping  a small spoonful into the center of each cupcake.  

4.     Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes,   Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  (the cheese mixture will magically move to the middle of the cupcake making an amazing filling!)

5.     While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the frosting.  In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese. Turn the mixer to low  and add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract, and then pipe onto cooled cupcakes.