MANILA, Philippines?Many years ago, I discovered a ?five-minute recipe? for baking a chocolate cake.

Though it actually takes me more than five minutes to prepare the whole thing and put it in the oven, it?s still simpler and quicker than other cake recipes?and the cake comes out rich and moist every time.

Recently I took this old favorite and gave it a twist. I added chocolate chips into the batter and instead of baking it as a cake, I made it into cupcakes. A sour-cream topping studded with more chocolate chips gives it extra richness.

Black-and-White Cupcakes

Cupcake:

1? c all-purpose flour
2 c white sugar
? c Hershey?s unsweetened cocoa powder
1? tsp baking soda
1? tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
? c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 c boiling water
1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

3 c sour cream
1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350?F. Line two to three 12-cup capacity muffin pans with paper baking cups.

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl of electric mixer.

Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Beat at medium speed just until combined (do not over beat).

Pour in boiling water and stir until mixture is smooth and has no lumps (batter will be thin).

Pour batter into prepared baking cups, filling each cup only halfway. Drop a few chocolate chips into each cup.

Topping:

In a bowl, combine sour cream and the remaining one cup chocolate chips.

Spread some of this mixture on top of each cupcake, just enough to cover the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out almost clean (with just a few moist crumbs).

COOK?S TIPS

If desired, spray each paper baking cup with nonstick spray before pouring in the batter. The baked cupcakes will then not stick to the paper cups (making it less messy to eat).

Though the cupcakes keep for several days, they?re best eaten freshly baked out of the oven.

You can also bake the cupcakes without the sour cream topping. The cupcakes taste moist and rich even without the sour cream topping.

Alternatively, if you don?t put the sour cream topping, you can frost the baked cupcakes with your favorite frosting. Make sure to cool the cupcakes completely before putting the frosting.