Hot as in spicy…and just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Or for anytime if you like a little kick to your chocolate. Lemon Sugar added a little cinnamon and a little cayenne pepper to a delicious chocolate cupcake and topped them with a rich butter cream frosting. Sweet and spicy and just a little bit different.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dutch-process cocoa
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 cup boiling water
3 sticks (1 and 1/2 cups) unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups confectioners sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners, and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and beat until blended.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cayenne pepper and cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Add dry mixture to wet mixture, and beat until just combined.
- Carefully and slowly add the boiling water and stir/beat to combine until smooth.
- Fill the cupcake tins 2/3 to 3/4 full.
- Bake 16-18 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.
- Beat butter until smooth.
- Add confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and beat for just a few seconds to slightly combine.
- Add cream and vanilla and beat on low speed to combine, then switch to medium-high speed and beat for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add additional cream or confectioner’s sugar as needed to reach desired frosting consistency.
- Frost and garnish as desired. I used Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Stars.