If you have someone special in your life, the most important day of the year for you is Valentine’s Day! It is two short weeks away and I am here to provide something so much better than those boxes of waxy chocolates or predictable flowers you always buy. These fab Cheesecake Chocolate Cupcakes are rich and decadent….even if you aren’t 🙂

My hubby has it pretty easy when it comes to Valentine’s Day. It also happens to be my birthday. And no, I don’t make him buy me two separate presents. After 23 years of marriage, I should just be glad continues to love me and puts up with my personality because I can be a real STINKER 🙂

For many years, my go-to Valentines dessert has been my rock-star Chocolate Melting Cake. It is awfully sexy as far as desserts go.

This new recipe came via one of my closest friends who has been whipping up these amazing cupcakes for years. I love that these babies are a massive step above your standard cupcake. Anyone can top a cupcake with frosting….boring! These sweet gems of love have CHEESECAKE as their frosting. It doesn’t get much sexier than this.

Cheesecake Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cheesecake Mixture
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 C sugar
6 oz mini chocolate chips
Cupcake Mixture
1 1/2 C flour
1 C sugar
1/4 C baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 C oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 C water
1 Tb white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 and place 20 cupcake liners in a muffin tin. Beat together all the cheesecake ingredients, except for the chocolate chips until smooth and combined. Add the chocolate chips and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients for the cupcakes, then add the wet. Mix just until combined then evenly divide the batter between the 20 liners. Spoon the cheesecake mixture over the top. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely and if desired, drizzle with some melted chocolate.