Date Night with Sir Mix A lot

Yes. I had a date night with Sir Mix A Lot, Britt's new mixer she got for Christmas and nicknamed it Sir Mix A Lot. Last night we made sinfully delicious cupcakes together. Brittany bought me a book for Christmas called Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, by Jill O'Connor, and I think these cupcakes fall under the messy and gooey categories pretty easily. They didn't exactly turn out beautiful, but the chocolate cupcake filled with a chocolate chip cheesecake-like filling and a chocolate glaze on top is definitely perfect for those nights when you just need that comfort found in eating chocolate and cheesecake.

Black Bottom Cupcakes
Adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey, by Jill O'Connor

For the filling:
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream together the first 5 ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into pastry bag or Ziploc bag with a snipped corner.

For the cake batter:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup, boil 1 cup water in the microwave then add the vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients. Fill 24 lined cupcake tins about 1/4 the way full then pipe about 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of the cupcake tins, then fill with remaining cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until the cupcakes are firm. As mine cooled after baking, the filling deflated some and made the cupcakes have a little crater in the center but if this happens to you, don't freak out. They still taste delicious. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before you dip them in the chocolate glaze.

For the glaze:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave about 1 minute. Stir until everything is melted and nicely blended. Dip the cupcakes into the glaze once they are cool.