Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

A double chocolate cupcake with a cream cheese center,  a heavenly treat. I use this recipe often changing the frosting according to the occasion. I used the recipe for my falling leaves cupcakes with a orange tinted butter cream frosting. I promised I'd share the recipe so here it is!

Cupcake

2 cups brown sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted ( I like Ghirardelli)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong coffee, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs

Cheesecake Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Butter cream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter(2 sticks), softened.  I like Cabot butter from Vermont.
3-4 cups powdered sugar sifted ( I use closer to 4 cups)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, use real vanilla not imitation
2-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Cupcakes: Pre heat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with liners. Whisk sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in  large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk, coffee, oil and eggs, whisking until smooth. Divide half the batter between prepared cupcakes.

Cheesecake Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Beat inn egg, then flour. Spoon filling over cupcakes. Sprinkle mini chips over cheesecake filling. Cover with remaining cupcake batter.  Bake for 12 large cupcakes 30-25 minutes, 24 regular cup cakes 20 minutes and 48 mini cupcakes 15 minutes or until tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes and decorate with butter cream frosting. I decorated these cupcakes with colored leaves and mini leaf sugar cookies.

Frosting: Beat butter in mixer at high speed until creamy. Add three cups of powdered sugar, mix at low speed until sugar is combined. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoon milk, mix at medium speed for three minutes. Add remaining sugar until you reach your desired constancy, follow the same with the milk. The more sugar makes the frosting stiffer and the more milk the more creamier. It depends on how you use your frosting. Thicker if you are spreading and creamier if you are piping. It very easy to adjust the constancy using more sugar or milk.
Tint to desired color.