LOVE CAKE

These cupcakes are extra moist and decadent, easy to make and easy to eat! I had the hardest time deciding what to bake yesterday, there are so many recipes I want to try! I am super glad I made these. They also got me major brownie (or should I say cupcake) points with the hubby! There is a cake at Haleiwa Joe's called the "Love Cake' that we literally order every. time. we. go. and it is really similar to this but has a raspberry sauce instead of frosting. I am glad I can recreate it when we are on a budget! And I might even venture to say that mine is better! I might. Their sauce is pretty damn good though!
Recipe adapted from joy of baking.

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounces (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) water
1/3 cup (80 ml) corn or canola oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream Cheese Filling: In your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes: In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until nice and smooth. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling is a little brown and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch (a toothpick inserted into the chocolate part of the cupcake will come out clean). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

The cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 - 4 days.

Makes 12 large cupcakes (I doubled the recipe to make 24 because 12 is just not enough. so the frosting recipe will frost 24)

Raspberry buttercream frosting:

1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 stick vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons red raspberry preserves
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 pound confectioners sugar

With your mixer beat butter and shortening until very smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add raspberry preserves until incorporated. Add vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your preferred consistency. Beat until fluffy about 3 more minutes.

ENJOY!