****EDIT: I just wanted to add this note. My mom used to make this as a cake (minus the cream cheese filling) in the 60's. Since I first saw this recipe, I've been racking my brain to remember what that cake was called. After a brief Google session it finally came back to me - Wacky Cake, aka Crazy Cake or Depression Cake. Anyway, I baked a batch of these today and they are so adaptable, lending themselves to any number of small changes as evidenced by the reviews. A hint to make them a "SURPRISE" cupcake: be sure to drop the cheese filling in a small spot in the center of each cake. That way as the cakes bake, the filling drops down and is covered up by the rising chocolate cake portion. ****** These are very good and a snap to make. Chocolate and cream cheese are such a great combination! This recipe yielded only 22 cupcakes for me. Maybe I filled my tins a little too full. Watch your baking time on these. I feel that 20 - 25 minutes is a better estimate. I did my first batch at 25 minutes and reduced the next to 20. On a purely personal note, I added a little more cocoa (about 1/3 instead of 1/4 cup) being a dark chocolate fan. I also added 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture.

I grew up on these as a kid. Exact same recipe as my moms. They did not seem as good as hers though. Then I remembered my mother kept them in the fridge. That made a difference. Delicious!

These were okay, but not extraordinary. To me, they just tasted like a chocolate chip muffin, even with the cream cheese topping. I made them for St. Patrick's Day and added a bit of green food coloring to the topping, so mine were chocolate and green. These are cute, but again, not really special enough to make again.

These tasted wonderful and were a hit with everyone!