Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes

Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes

These Black Bottom Cupcakes are not only gluten free they're decadently delicious too.  Encase you're not familiar, they're part chocolate chip cheesecake and part chocolate cupcake in a perfectly portioned piece of pleasure.

Gluten free Bisquick makes it easy to prepare the cake batter without having to blend a bunch of gluten free flours.  The cheesecake filling is flecked with tiny chocolate chips to add to the delight but it’s also lightened up with reduced fat cream cheese so you won’t need to feel as guilty.  But don't worry, these are so decadent you won’t notice the slim down.

One of the reasons I felt the need to make the cheesecake batter lighter is because I increased the ratio of cheesecake to cupcake in these little guys.  I just love cheesecake so as far as I’m concerned, extra cheesecake only serves to makes life better.  And one of the things I love about this dessert is that they can be made in advance then stored in the fridge for several days.  They also freeze well too.  So feel free to make a batch then take them out of the freezer about shortly before serving. 

You're gonna love this one.  

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Prep time: 20 min

Bake time:  24-28 min

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHEESECAKE BATTER:
• 12 oz reduced fat cream cheese, very well softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE CAKE BATTER:
• ¾ cup gluten free Bisquick                 
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
• 2/3 cup coffee, room temperature
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 1 tsp vanilla

Video Tutorial

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 175 °C) and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
2. For the filling, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until well blended.  Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips to get them evenly dispersed and set the mixture aside while you make the cake batter.
3. Stir together the gluten free Bisquick, sifted cocoa and brown sugar and set it aside while you mix the wet ingredients.
4. Whisk the coffee, egg, butter and vanilla together until well blended then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and using a rubber spatula mix them together until they’re well combined.
5. Evenly distribute the chocolate batter between the paper liners.  A small scoop makes the task much easier. Each liner should be just under 1/3 full.  Use the back of a spoon to push the batter towards the edges of the cupcake liner creating a small depression in the center.
6. Drop about a 2 tbsp dollop of the cheesecake batter into the center of each cupcake. Leave the batter mounded up in the center to allow the chocolate batter to rise around the edges during the baking process.
7. Bake the cupcakes for 24-28 minutes then allow them to cool for ½ hour before removing them from the pan to cool completely. Chill the cupcakes for a few hours before serving.