Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

We had a going away party for my sweet supervisor 
that hired me for my new position last September.  

A couple of weeks ago, she got promoted 
to another department and told us she was leaving us...
tears...
ok, many tears...
sniff...sniff...

She is just an awesome lady with so many endearing qualities.   
One of the characteristics that I observed her having, 
was that in our individual meetings each month, 
she saw in me what I could become.  
She saw beyond blunders--large and small--
she could see beyond my fears and concerns.   
 The world needs more of us to have that kind of vision.     

 One of her quotes I first heard her say in a meeting regarding our company and the "productivity numbers" it requires was this,

"People don't perform because of the numbers, 
people perform because of who they are." 

She saw each of us as people of quality and integrity.  
She is a beautiful person 

who left her handprint on my heart.  

She will be greatly missed by our team!
The other department is getting a precious gem! 

To make the change a little easier to swallow,  
I made a Chocolate Cheesecake Cake (recipe in an earlier post)
 and these Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes. 

They are easy and delicious!  
These are some of the quotes I heard about them 
throughout our workplace that day:  

"The cupcakes were wonderful...life-changing really."

"I was eating a cupcake in my office and I made a noise 
I did not mean to make--just as two guys walked by.  
Now I'm afraid I'm going to be called into HR."

Wow!  I didn't mean to cause such a stir 
with chocolate and cream cheese...
I guess it just happens sometimes... :)

 Make some of these "life-changing" cupcakes this weekend--
you will not be disappointed!  

 *******************************************************

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
  

Step 1:  Cupcake Batter

1 Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix

4 eggs

2/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup milk

Directions: 

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

 Mix all ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Spoon 2-3 TBSP chocolate cake mixture into cupcake papers.

Step 2:  Cream Cheese Mixture: 

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese,

butter and cornstarch until fluffy.

Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk,

egg and vanilla until smooth.

Spoon 1-2  TBSP cream cheese mixture over cake batter.

 Bake for the time recommended 

for cupcakes on the box.

Step 3:  Frosting:

•    2 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting 
• (or your favorite homemade frosting recipe--
• I used Duncan Hines also--It is my favorite!!)

 The Cast of Characters...

except that you will have to pretend that the water pictured here is milk...

yes, it is milk...

make sure your measuring cup contains milk...

ok...

sigh... 

Add the eggs to the cake mix...

then the melted butter and the milk...

Blend until creamy...

Look at these pretty Wilton Cupcake Cups! 
 I love pink!  :)



Spoon 2-3 TBSP into each cupcake cup...

Look at the beautiful little snack that wonderful man 
fixed for me while I was up to my elbows in chocolate !  
He's a sweetie!  :)

The cream cheese mixture...

Cream together the butter, cream cheese and cornstarch...

Add the sweetened condensed milk and the egg...

Pour in the vanilla...

blend until smooth and beautiful!...

Spoon a couple of TBSP over the chocolate batter...

When baked, they look like this...yum!...

Decorate as you like with the frosting...

Then I decided to decorate some strawberries too with yummy white chocolate...

And pink chocolate...just because...

 

Pretty!

I added one to each cupcake...

This was the dessert display...

Pretty flowers...thanks, Scott! :)

And the amazing cupcakes! :))