Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix, batter prepared according to package directions (use extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil if your mix calls for oil)
• 1 (8-ounce) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup Splenda (fill the measuring cup just short of full as Splenda is sweeter than sugar)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup (6 ounces) butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Optional- 1 (16-ounce) container cream cheese frosting (any frosting you can find that is reduced sugar would be great)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Filling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
    
2. Spoon the prepared batter equally into 24 muffin cups that have been lined with paper baking cups, filling each cup three-quarters full.
    
3. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and egg until fluffy. Stir in the butterscotch chips and walnuts until well mixed. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of the batter in each cup.
    
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then frost with the cream cheese frosting. Serve, or cover loosely until ready to serve.