Black Bottom Cupcakes

I've shared this recipe before, however, this last time I made a chocolate ganache for a topping instead of frosting and then added a little curly-cue to the top with white cream cheese frosting so they looked like little Hostess cupcakes. My mother-in-law was the first person to make these for me and then a few years later I found the recipe in my Hershey's Chocolate Lover's cookbook. They are always a real hit!



Cupcakes:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 c. water
1 tbsp. vinegar
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Traditional Topping:(I have not used this topping)
Sugar
Chopped Almonds

1. Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt in a small mixing bowl; blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add egg, water, vinegar, oil and vanilla; beat until well combined.
3. Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full with batter. Drop a heaping teaspoonful of filling in the center of each cupcake. Sprinkle with sugar and almonds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees fro 25 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate leftovers.

Chocolate Ganache:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. heavy whipping cream

1. Bring whipping cream just to a boil. Remover from heat. Add chocolate chips and allow them to just sit in the hot cream for 5 minutes.
2. After 5 minutes, stir cream and chocolate until smooth.
3. Dip cooled cupcake tops in ganache. Allow to set and ad curly-cue with white frosting or cream cheese frosting.

Yields: 1 1/2 to 2 dozen cupcakes