Some tasty advice....

Made these this afternoon, and they are AMAZING!! Try them out:

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcakes

Cupcakes

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/3 cup cocoa

3/4 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee

3/4 cup bread flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cheesecake Filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 large egg

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 ounces chocolate chips

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 cups confectioners' sugar

2-4 tablespoons milk

1-3 tablespoons cocoa powder, depending on color/flavor of chocolate frosting desired

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. 

Place chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl and pour hot coffee over the mixture. Whisk until smooth and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, 20-30 minutes.

Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside. 

Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth. 

To prepare the cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Fill each cupcake liner about 1/3 of the way full. Add about a tablespoon-size scoop of cheesecake mixture, then spoon more cupcake batter over the top until cheesecake is covered and the liner is filled about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the buttercream frosting, beat butter and shortening in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt. Beat in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of the bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of milk; beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Add additional milk for desired consistency.

Separate frosting into three bowls, one for vanilla, one for dark chocolate, and one for the lighter chocolate color. For the darker chocolate frosting, I used about 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa powder until it was the color I wanted. Adding cocoa powder thickens up the frosting, so you might have to add a little more milk when you stir it in to keep it the consistency you want. For the lighter colored chocolate frosting, I used about a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder.

Makes about 15 cupcakes.