Ingredients

• Cream Cheese Topping
• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 11-oz. package chocolate chips


• Cake
• 1 1/2 cup sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Cream Cheese Topping
In an electric mixer bowl, blend cream cheese, egg, the 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Remove bowl from mixer and manually stir in chocolate chips. Pour into another bowl and set aside. Clean out electric mixer bowl to use for cake batter.

Cake
In an electric mixer bowl, blend cream cheese, egg, the 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Remove bowl from mixer and manually stir in chocolate chips. Pour into another bowl and set aside. Clean out electric mixer bowl to use for cake batter.

Sift together into a medium-sized mixing bowl the flour, baking soda and cocoa. Set aside. In the electric mixer bowl, add the 1 cup of sugar, water, oil, water, vinegar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the sifted flour mixture to the wet mixture and blend with electric mixer until smooth.

Spray all cups in cupcake baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (or use cupcake liners instead of cooking spray). Fill each cup (or cupcake liner) 1/2 full with batter. Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese mixture on in the middle of each cup (or liner) on top of the cupcake batter. Sprinkle with nuts (optional) and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Allow to cool before removing from cupcake baking sheet.