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    Home » Desserts » Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

    Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

    October 2, 2014 , Updated April 7, 2021 Maria 13 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Chocolate Surprise Cupcake placed on a red heart.

    Take a look at these Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes…

    Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes on a white serving dish.

    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…

    The interior of the Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes.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.

    A few Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes on red doilies.

    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! 

    A top view of a ganache topped Chocolate Surprise Cupcake.

    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!!!!chocolate surprise cupcakes

    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

    Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes on a white serving tray.

    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
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 18 servings
    Calories: 228kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 61mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.2mg
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    Thanks for dropping by.

    Ciao for now!

    Maria 🙂

    2016.01.18 This post has been updated.

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    Filed Under: Desserts

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jo Vanderwolf

      January 22, 2018 at 10:23 am

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

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 22, 2018 at 1:44 pm

        The ultimate surprise cupcakes!!! Appreciate your comment, thanks Jo ♥♥♥

        Reply
    2. Ann

      January 22, 2018 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • 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 🙂

        Reply
    3. 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!

      Reply
      • 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 🙂

        Reply
    4. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

      January 22, 2018 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      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 🙂

      Reply
      • 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 ♥♥♥

        Reply
    5. Joyce

      January 22, 2018 at 8:09 am

      This looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 23, 2018 at 5:34 pm

        I agree, these surprise cupcakes look and taste amazing 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Joyce 🙂

        Reply
    6. Nancy

      October 28, 2014 at 7:53 pm

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

      Reply
      • 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! 🙂

        Reply

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