Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Combine cake mix, water, 3 eggs, and oil together in a bowl using an electric mixer until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.

3. Blend cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg, and vanilla extract together in a blender until cheesecake filling is smooth; stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cheesecake filling into each cupcake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.

5. Frost each cupcake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over each cupcake.

Cook's Notes:

You can use other kinds of vanilla but you will probably need to add a bit more. I find Mexican vanilla also has the best flavor.

I use fat-free cream cheese typically, but any kind works well. Cold cream cheese will take much longer to blend smooth than room temperature.