Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wouldn't you just love to come home form a busy day at school - handing out valentines, playing silly heart games, using M&M's for math class - and find these waiting for you?

(Heck - I'd like to find these waiting for me any day.) 

Despite how decadent they look and how rich they taste - they are surprisingly easy to make. It doesn't matter if your Valentine is 8 or 80 they will enjoy the thought and love baked into these cupcakes.

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

Makes about 24 cupcakes

Click here to print this recipe

For the Cake Part:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 

1 cup sugar  

1/3 cup cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda  

½ teaspoon salt 

1 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chip

For the Cheesecake Part:

1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese at room temp. 

5 tablespoons sugar  

1 egg 

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

3. To make the cake batter, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium sized mixing cup. Add the milk, butter, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

4. To make the cheesecake batter, beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

5. Spoon 1 tablespoon of cake batter into each cupcake liner. Add a tablespoon of cheesecake batter and then one more tablespoon of cake batter. 

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Or covered in melted chocolate chips but not batter)

7. Frost with fudge frosting and garnish with chopped pieces of white chocolate.