Foodie Friday #5: Black Bottomed Cupcakes

In my head, this always goes to the tune of 'Fat Bottomed Girls' by Queen... "Black bottomed cakes, you make the rockin' world go round..." Ahem, anyway, yes. This is another recipe from  my beloved Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, possibly my favourite of the recipes I've tried from it so far - but then I'm a fiend for both chocolate and cheesecake so you'd expect it really.
This is basically a chocolate cupcake with a blob of vanilla-y cheesecake in the top - otherwise known as Heaven. The book recommends topping them with cream cheese frosting but I tend to just go for plain vanilla buttercream to avoid cream cheese overkill!

Mix 190g plain flour, 40g cocoa powder, 120g caster sugar, and 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda until well incorporated. Whisk together 40ml sunflower oil, 125ml water, 1 1/2tsp white vinegar and 1/2tsp vanilla extract, then slowly add to the dry ingredients, beating constantly. Beat until thoroughly mixed, then spoon into paper cases.

For the cheesecake: Mix 140g cream cheese, 1 egg, 60g caster sugar, a pinch of salt and 1/2tsp vanilla extract. Don't worry, it looks gross at first... Once it comes together, spoon onto the top of the cupcake mix in the cases.

Bake for 20 minutes at 170°C, then allow to cool completely whilst you prepare the frosting.

Beat together 250g icing sugar, 80g unsalted butter (at room temperature), 25ml milk and a couple of drops of vanilla extract, until light and fluffy. Spoon or pipe onto the tops of the cupcakes, and dust with cocoa powder to finish!

These ones unfortunately didn't work out as well as they have in the past - I think this may be down to my having used reduced fat cream cheese, so as a tip I recommend using full fat!
Have any of you guys tried these cupcakes? I seriously need a trip to the Hummingbird Bakery to try one of theirs!

xo
[Post contains affiliate links.]