Black Bottom Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Buttercream {Recipe Video}
Black Bottom Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Buttercream are chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese chocolate chip filling and silky salted chocolate buttercream. They’re easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion!
This post was originally published in June 2013. The photos and recipe were improved and I’ve rewritten the text.
Today is a very special day! It’s my 5 year blog anniversary and we’ve got cupcakes. I originally published this recipe back in 2013 and it needed a major overhaul. These Black Bottom Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Buttercream deserved better because they’re very special to me.
Before I gush about these cupcakes, I just want to say what an amazing journey the past 5 years have been. I’ve learned so much about food and so much about myself. I’ve met so many wonderful bloggers along the way (some actually in person!) and appreciate all of the support that I receive from each and every one of them.
Most importantly, I appreciate all of my readers for subscribing and following along whether it be via email, Facebook, Instagram, etc. This blog would be nothing without you and I just want to say thank you for your support!
Now let’s talk cupcakes!
When I first began my job in San Francisco at the ripe age of 23, I had a wonderful boss that would bring in the most delicious cupcakes I’d ever tasted each and every time one of the staff had a birthday.
This was long before cupcake bakeries and Cupcake Wars, obviously. I was so impressed that she made cupcakes with a filling in them. The only cupcake I’d had with a filling prior to my boss’ were Hostess cupcakes.
Sad right?
I remember thinking how much effort my boss must have gone through to make her special birthday cupcakes. She’d never divulged the name of the recipe, and years later Google helped me find them. They were black bottom cupcakes, and my boss had livened them up with chocolate frosting like I’ve done here.
I found this recipe 13 years ago and I’ve been making them ever since. I made them for my son’s 14th birthday last month as well. Maybe you saw them on my Instagram stories?
Black bottom cupcakes are like no cupcakes you’ve ever had before. They’re light, spongy and chocolatey…and the clincher? There’s no butter, eggs, or dairy in the cake itself and they’re beyond easy to make!
The cream cheese filling makes these cupcakes really special. I for one could never resist chocolate and cheesecake in one delicious confection. It’s one of my favorite combinations.
These cupcakes are perfectly delicious with no frosting at all, but keeping with my old boss’ tradition, I’ve topped them with chocolate frosting. My frosting is silky and chocolatey and isn’t overly sweet thanks to a bit of fleur de sel or flaky sea salt.
Salted chocolate is my thing — see these peanut butter cups and this fudge!
The simplicity of these Black Bottom Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Buttercream is spectacular, and the taste is out of this world. They’re my go-to chocolate cupcake, hands down.
Frosted or unfrosted, you’re going to enjoy every single chocolate cream cheese bite!
Black Bottom Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Buttercream
Black Bottom Cupcakes with Salted Chocolate Buttercream are chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese chocolate chip filling and silky salted chocolate buttercream. They’re easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion!

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (I use Maldon)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Prepare the cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper or foil liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
- Add the water, canola oil, cider vinegar, and vanilla.
- Stir everything together just until everything is incorporated.
- Using an ice cream scoop, pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups about ⅓ of the way full.
Prepare the filling:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Top the cupcake batter with a heaping tablespoon of the filling (you will have a bit of filling leftover).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the filling appears set and the cupcakes spring back when pressed gently with your fingers. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the frosting:
- Place the butter and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and beat together on low until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, vanilla, and fleur de sel and beat on medium high until incorporated. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cream if you’d like a creamier texture.
- Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
These cupcakes are completely delicious with no frosting at all! I simply love to frost them for special occasions.
Cupcake recipe adapted from Joy of Baking.
Frosting recipe source: Flavor the Moments
// All images and text © .
These do look good! I like the added cream cheese frosting on top – perfect!
Thanks, Liz! They’re one of my favorite things in life.
Cream cheese chocolate chip filling? Sold!
You really can’t go wrong with that, can you?! Thanks, Jaclyn!
I love black bottom cupcakes! Yours are so pretty with a little frosting on top.
Thank you, Nicole! You certainly can’t go wrong with these!
Wow, your photos are so amazing! And the recipe sounds so great, I have to try it!
Thank you so much! I highly recommend these. Easy and delicious!
Chocolate and espresso pair so beautifully together. A glass of milk or coffee would do it for me with some of these beauties. Great post Marcie!
It’s probably my favorite flavor combination. Thank you, Anne!
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Thank you! I made these for my friend and babysitter for her birthday today. She loved it! I doubled the cheesecake though…I’m a bit of a cheese cake fiend. These are amazing cupcakes. 🙂
I’m so glad you loved these, Grace! They’re definitely a favorite of mine.
DD loves Black Bottom Cupcakes and asked for them for her graduation…gluten free, though. I was looking at how to dress them up and came across your post. Thanks so much! We will be using your ideas. Her other flavor choice was our Pumpkin Brownies, in cupcake form, and so I loved your ONE frosting idea!! Thanks for your help for our reception.
I’m happy you found what you were looking for here, Cheryl! Pumpkin brownies sound so delicious, too — your graduation desserts sound perfect! 🙂
Is it ok to skip the apple cider vinegar?
Hi Ruth — you should definitely use the vinegar, but you can sub the apple cider with white or white balsamic. Hope that helps!
Hi! I made this for my friend as a present and he loved it!i’m a first time cupcake baker so i was elated when i got very positive comment. Just wonderin’ about the shell life of these lovelies? Thanks!
Hello, and I’m glad these worked out for you! If you refrigerate them, they’ll keep for at least 3 days and still taste good. You can enjoy them cold, or let them stand at room temp if you like them that way better (I love them room temp). 🙂 Thank you for the feedback!
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what a great recipe for cupcakes and I love the name.
Thanks so much Balvinder! 🙂
And Happy 5th bligiversary!
Happy bloggiversary, Marcie! I wish you many more years of continued success! These cupcakes look amazing! I’m glad you finally found the recipe because it sounds like it was well worth the search. Such fun cupcakes for any occasion, and great job on your video, too!
Thank you so much Gayle!
First, congratulations on FIVE YEARS of blogging! That’s amazing! Second, I’m headed over to your house for a cupcake party :). I love black bottom cupcakes but I’ve only ever eaten them with a glaze. Frosting is so much better!
Thank you Kelsie! It feels like it’s been longer than 5 years when I look back. 🙂 I’ve had the cupcakes with ganache and they were great, but this frosting takes them over the top!
wow I don’t think I have ever had such cupcakes, they sound amazing Marcie! And congratulations on 5 years, that’s an amazing achievement. Here’s to many more successful years!
These cupcakes are such a favorite and I hope you get to try them some time. Thanks so much Manali!
Congratulations on 5 years, Marcie!! I’m so happy to see how far you’ve come. Keeping up with blogging is like running a never ending marathon. You have done such a great job and continue to inspire me to do better every day. I’m excited to see what the next 5 years has in store for you too! 🙂
These cupcakes are absolutely gorgeous and are making my mouth water like crazy. Salted chocolate is my thing too. They look so good!
Thank you so much for the kind words Sarah and you’re so right — it is a never ending marathon. The past few weeks have been so busy and I need a break! 🙂
Congratulations on your anniversary!! These cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate. I love the cream cheese filling, and I’m with you on the salted chocolate. I will keep these in mind next time I need a special birthday cupcake. Yum!
Thank you so much Katherine and you will love these!
Oh Marcie, Happy 5 Year Anniversary! I am SO happy we got to meet through this blogging journey and can’t wait to see what the next 5 years brings. These gorgeous cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate!! <3
Thank you so much Kelly! You’ve always been an inspiration to me and I hope we can meet up again next year!
Oh man!! These look amazing. The salted chocolate frosting…is to die for.
Thanks Zainab!
Happy blogiversary! I love reading your blog… and you are making my hungry, these cupcakes are beautiful! Truth be told, I hardly ever make cupcakes..even though I love them. I’m bookmarking these for the next time I have an event to bake something for!
Thanks so much Nicole! I appreciate your sweet comment and I hope you get to try these soon!
Hey, Marcie!
The moment I saw these, I started thinking how many I can fit into my mouth… What does that say about me? I wonder 😛
P.S. A little too late, but happy birthday to your son!
I think it says you love cupcakes as much as I do?? 🙂 Thanks Makos!
Can this recipe be doubled for 24 cupcakes?
Most definitely!
My grandmother made these – very old recipe
They are a classic!
Can I leave the espresso powder out please I do not like coffee
or espresso of any kind. Can I substitute it with some
melted chocolate?
Please let me know by e-mailing me at
[email protected]