Welcome to Mending Maria Mondays!

 Welcome to Mending Maria Mondays!  Every Monday I will post something new to the blog from Mending Maria.

     Who is Mending Maria?  She is your mother, your sister, your neighbor.  She is you!  She is the person that has been wounded but holds on to faith the size of a mustard seed.  She is the person that, through the rejection and the offense, keeps her eyes on the Creator of the universe, though the universe tells her not to.  This blog is a journey of life lessons and testimonies.  I share it with you in an effort to bring encouragement and hope and a reminder that God will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

     One thing you will come to know about me is that I love to cook!  So in celebration of the launch of Mending Maria Mondays, I want to share one of my favorite desserts with you:  Chocolate Cream Cheese Surprise Cupcakes.    I found this recipe on Pinterest one day from The Capitol Baker.  After 2 ½ hours of pins ranging from the nutritional value of avocados to decorating with zebra prints, the picture of this yummy-cake appeared.   I have to admit, it is not the most health conscious of desserts, but oh oh oh…does it taste good! 

Known also as Black Bottom Cupcakes, the original recipe dates back decades.  Variations of the decadent cupcake saturate the internet, but this one from The Capitol Baker is my favorite.  Enjoy and Happy Monday!

P.S.  I want to hear from you!  Email me your prayer requests and testimonies at info@mendingmaria.com

Chocolate Cream Cheese Surprise Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For filling:

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the cupcake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups of water

2/3 cups vegetable oil

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin cups with paper liners

Prepare the filling- beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and salt in a bowl until smooth and creamy.  Stir in the chocolate chips. 

 For the cake- Stir together the flower sugar cocoa baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.  Beat for 3 minutes.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.  Spoon 1 level tbsp of the filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean.  Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans.  Remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely.