Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes baked on a chocolate cookie crust, with chocolate chip cheesecake filling and fudge frosting.
Ingredients
For Crust
- 25 Oreos (with the filling), pulverized into a fine crumb
- 4 tablespoons (56.5 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
For the Cupcakes
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (88.5 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup (236.2 g) hot water or coffee
- 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon (7.5 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (15.13 g) milk
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (85.5 g) mini chocolate chips
Buttercream
- 1 1/4 cups (282.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 3/4 cup (88.5 g) dark cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (276 g) light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 8 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Oreo Crust
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse. Mixture should be like wet sand.
- Measure 2 tablespoons of the crumbs and drop into each of your cupcake liners (in your cupcake pans) or baking cups (baking cups can be set on a jelly roll pan to bake). Use your fingers or the bottom of a cup to press the crumbs into place to create a crust. Set aside.
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In another medium sized mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, water or coffee, oil and vanilla with a whisk.
- While mixing, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed (or by hand with a whisk) until the flour is combined. Batter will be thin. Scrape sides and mix for another 30 seconds. Divide batter evenly among the baking cups or cupcake liners, about 2/3rds full.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Let cupcakes cook completely before adding cheesecake filling and frosting.
For the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat your oven to 325. Spray an 8”x8” baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth and there is no sugar granules.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, cornstarch and salt.
- Add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until combined.
- Stir in the egg and egg yolk. Beat on medium speed or by hand for a couple minutes.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the mixture is slightly set around the edges but still soft in the middle.
- Once the cheesecake filling is cooled completely, fold in the chocolate chips.
- You can make this element ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
For the Fudge Frosting
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips in the microwave for about a minute. Stir until smooth and silky. Set aside.
- In food processor, combine the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl about half way through.
- Add corn syrup and vanilla and mix until just combined, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then add the melted chocolate.
- Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.This frosting will get darker as it sets.
Assembly
- When the cupcakes are completely room temperature, use the end of a piping tip, a knife, or a spoon to remove some of the center of the cupcakes.
- Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the cheesecake filling into each cupcake.
- Once the filling is added, use a Wilton 1M piping tip to pipe the fudge frosting onto each cake.
- Add an Oreo to the top of each cupcake.