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These chocolate cream cheese cupcakes bake up with a soft, cocoa-rich crumb and a creamy cheesecake-style center right in the middle. The thin chocolate batter rises around a lightly sweetened cream cheese filling studded with mini chocolate chips, creating a shallow dip on top as they bake.
Made in standard muffin pans and ready in about 30 minutes, they’re a simple dessert that doesn’t need frosting to shine.
Here’s Why This Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcake Recipe Works
No frosting needed: The tangy cream cheese center doubles as the topping, so these cupcakes come out of the oven ready to serve.
One-bowl batter: The chocolate base mixes up fast with no eggs and no mixer—just whisk and go.
Mini chocolate chips: Stirred into the filling, they melt slightly while holding their shape, adding soft pops of chocolate throughout.
Perfect contrast: The tender chocolate cake plays off the creamy center for a rich-meets-light combo that tastes like a cheesecake brownie in cupcake form.
If you like the chocolate-and-cream-cheese combination, this chocolate brownie cheesecake is another rich dessert with a baked-in cheesecake layer.
A Note on the Chocolate Batter
The chocolate cupcake base is adapted from my wacky chocolate cake, an old-school recipe made without eggs and leavened with baking soda and vinegar. Variations of this cake show up in countless church cookbooks because it’s simple and reliable. It bakes up tender and light, letting the cream cheese filling peek through as it bakes.
Ingredient Notes
Cream cheese: Use full-fat block cream cheese, not whipped or spreadable. It gives the filling structure and a smooth, cheesecake-like texture once baked.
Egg: The egg helps the cream cheese layer set properly. There are no eggs in the cupcake batter, so don’t skip it in the filling.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for the best rise. Dutch-process cocoa won’t react the same way with the baking soda and vinegar.
Vegetable oil: Oil keeps the cupcakes soft and moist. Butter will change both the texture and flavor of the cake.
White vinegar: The chocolate batter doesn’t contain eggs, so the vinegar is essential for structure and lift. It reacts with the baking soda to create carbon dioxide, helping the cupcakes rise and bake up tender. There’s no vinegary taste in the finished cupcakes.
For a bar-style dessert, these brownies with cream cheese frosting deliver the same contrast in a simple, sliceable format.
Recipe Tips
Soften the cream cheese: Cold cream cheese won’t mix smoothly. Let it come to room temp for the best texture.
Use mini chips: Full-size chips can weigh down the filling and won’t distribute as evenly.
Fill halfway: Stick to ½ full liners for the chocolate batter so the filling doesn’t overflow.
Use a cookie scoop or measuring spoon for the filling: Keeping the cream cheese portion consistent helps the centers bake evenly and prevents some cupcakes from sinking more than others.
Check doneness at the center, not the edges: The chocolate cake can look set before the cream cheese is fully baked. The filling should look just set, not jiggly.
Cool completely before removing liners: The cream cheese center firms up as it cools, making the cupcakes easier to handle and cleaner to unwrap.
Refrigerate before serving if you want cleaner centers: A short chill gives the filling a more defined texture, especially if you’re serving them later.
If you’re in the mood for more chocolate cupcakes, these hot chocolate cupcakes lean cozy and cocoa-forward.
A Proven Classic
This style of chocolate cream cheese cupcake has been around for generations because it works. A simple chocolate batter, a creamy center, and no need for frosting. It’s a dependable dessert that feels as at home on a potluck table as it does in a modern kitchen.
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Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
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Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened, 226 grams
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 66 grams
- 1 large egg, 50 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips, 128 grams
Chocolate Cupcake Batter
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 150 grams
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 42 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk, 227 grams
- ½ cup vegetable oil, 109 grams
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 15 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard muffin pans with 16 paper liners.
- Make the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix just until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and set the mixture aside.
- Make the chocolate batter: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Fill the liners: Divide the chocolate batter evenly among the liners, filling each about ½ full.
- Add the filling: Spoon about 1½ tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each cupcake. Do not swirl, the filling will settle on its own during baking.
- Bake: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cream cheese centers look set and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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