Name: Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 250 grams cream cheese (softened); 1 egg; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup chocolate chips (130g); 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (melted and cooled); 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 3/4 cup water; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 egg; 1 1/4 cup flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Take a look at these Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes…

I mean take a really good look. Chocolate on the outside, cream cheese and chocolate chips on the inside. Spoiler alert: that’s what makes them surprise cupcakes!

Take another look…

Essentially, this is a chocolate cupcake, but the center is a mixture of cream cheese and chocolate chips. It’s practically like biting into a piece of chocolate cheesecake, but in a cupcake form. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve made these surprise cupcakes, and for so many different occasions.

You can dress up these Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes with a ganache frosting and they become a decadent dessert for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas. Leave them plain and these surprise cupcakes become the best seller for fundraising activities or a simple Sunday dessert. They are so good that everyone will be asking you for the recipe. Yes, these little surprise cupcakes are really that good!

If you prefer your cupcakes without any surprise, these espresso cupcakes are for you!

Recipe inspiration

In 1983, General Foods published a collection of recipes called: “Baker’s Chocolate Celebration Cookbook”. And of course you know who had to have it. So I sent away my 2.99$ (or whatever ridiculous amount) for postage and handling and 4-6 weeks later I got the cookbook. Good times!!!!

The recipe for these surprise cupcakes caught my attention right away. I have made a couple of changes to suit my preferences. I decreased the amount of sugar and chocolate chips, and I like to use a mixture of mint and dark chocolate chips. Mint and dark chocolate…no explanation required!

Go ahead and try this recipe for Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes. What changes will you make to call it your own?

Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

You'll be totally speechless when you bite into these chocolate surprise cupcakes. Spoiler alert: The surprise is the cream cheese-chocolate chip center.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 228kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

Cheese mixture:

250 grams cream cheese softened
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips 130g

Cupcake:

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the cheese mixture:

Beat together softened cream cheese, egg, and sugar until well blended.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Set aside mixture.

To make the cupcake:

Place cupcake liners in muffin tins.
In a medium bowl,combine the rest of the ingredients.
Beat together with a whisk or fork until smooth (2-3 minutes).
Separate 1/2 of the batter equally among the muffin tins.
Place 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture over the batter.
Top with the remaining cupcake batter.
Bake at 350 F for 30 - 35 minutes.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

Any kind of chocolate chips can be used.

Once cooled you can sprinkle icing sugar over the top or frost with your favourite icing. I have iced these cupcakes with the ganache frosting recipe found in simple snacking chocolate banana cake.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.

*recipe lightly adapted from Baker's Chocolate Celebration Cookbook

Nutrition

Thanks for dropping by.

Ciao for now!

Maria 🙂

2016.01.18 This post has been updated.

Comments

Jo Vanderwolf

January 22, 2018 at 10:23 am

So, yeah, I’m going to need about a billion of these. They look so decadent!

- Maria
  
  January 22, 2018 at 1:44 pm
  
  The ultimate surprise cupcakes!!! Appreciate your comment, thanks Jo ♥♥♥
  
Ann

January 22, 2018 at 8:54 am

Growing up, one of the five or so cookbooks my family had was the Baker’s Book of Chocolate Riches. Some of my all-time favorite desserts come from there. Maybe I’ll try and track this one down too. So nostalgic!
These cupcakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day. The cream cheese chocolate chip center is brilliant!

- Maria
  
  January 22, 2018 at 9:00 am
  
  Yes, these surprise cupcakes are very nostalgic ♥ An oldie but a goodie. Appreciate your comment. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
  
Marisa

January 22, 2018 at 8:24 am

I’ve made these a few times and know they are quite delicious! It’s a recipe that you can turn to time and time again….a classic! Yours are the prettiest I’ve seen Maria!

- Maria
  
  January 22, 2018 at 9:01 am
  
  Thanks so much Marisa ♥ These surprise cupcakes was one of my favorite recipes to make for fund-raisers. Appreciate you stopping by 🙂
  
Dawn - Girl Heart Food

January 22, 2018 at 8:18 am

They definitely do look THAT good! I love that cream cheese centre and the frosting looks super rich and chocolatey! One (or two) of these would be the BEST kind of way to start Monday 😉 Have a great week, Maria 🙂

- Maria
  
  January 22, 2018 at 9:03 am
  
  Thanks Dawn! These chocolate surprise cupcakes are our yearly “indulgent” Valentine treat… always requested by family members. Thanks for stopping by ♥♥♥
  
Joyce

January 22, 2018 at 8:09 am

This looks amazing!

- Maria
  
  January 23, 2018 at 5:34 pm
  
  I agree, these surprise cupcakes look and taste amazing 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Joyce 🙂
  
Nancy

October 28, 2014 at 7:53 pm

Hi, these cupcakes look delicious, I should make them for my grand-children.

- Maria
  
  October 28, 2014 at 8:29 pm
  
  Hi Nancy,
  These surprise cupcakes are a favorite in my household. Let me know how they turn out.
  Enjoy! 🙂