Last summer was officially the end of the cupcake era for me. A great food to be sure, but all the stores, TV shows, magazine articles and books that shot up too fast, too soon and too frequently ruined cupcakes for me. Then one day on the road, a friend of my in-laws brought me a plate of these little black-and-white beauties, and my faith was restored. These are simple to make, and while kids love them, you will love them even more. They are rich and decadent and just tart enough with the cream cheese to allow you to eat several.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line three 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

Make the Filling

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the egg, sugar, and salt until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Make the Cupcakes

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, salt and baking soda. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla and whisk just until the batter is smooth.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the filling on top of the batter, followed by another 1 tablespoon of the batter. Bake the cupcakes for about 30 minutes, until firm and no longer sticky to the touch; turn the pans halfway through baking. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

MAKE AHEAD The cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Originally published in Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures on foodandwine.com.

Photograph by Stephanie Meyer.