Mexican Chocolate Chili Cupcakes Recipes

AZTEC CHILE-CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, chile pepper powder, baking soda, salt, baking powder and red pepper; set aside. In small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about one-third at a time, and cocoa mixture, about half at a time, beating just until blended.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until about two-thirds full.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, line cookie sheet with foil. In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Spread chocolate to 1/8-inch thickness on cookie sheet. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Break into pieces; reserve.
• In large bowl, mix butter and melted unsweetened chocolate. Stir in powdered sugar and cinnamon. Stir coffee powder into 2 tablespoons milk until dissolved. With spoon, beat coffee mixture into powdered sugar mixture. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with chocolate shards.

CINCO DE CHILI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHILI CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• Empty the boxed cake mix into a mixing bowl, and whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground ancho chile and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the water, vegetable oil, and eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups, filling them 2/3 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting.
• In a bowl, sift 1 teaspoon of ground ancho chile, 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and the cinnamon with the confectioners' sugar. Beat in the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until the frosting is smooth; mix in the vanilla extract. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in attractive swirls, and poke a small dried chile, stem-side up, into the frosting as a garnish.

DOUBLE FEATURE CUPCAKES WITH MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners.
• To prepare the cupcake batter: In a large heat resistant bowl, combine the chocolate and butter over a pot of simmering water, without letting the bottom touch the water. Stir gently until melted and well combined. You may use a microwave, if preferable.
• Remove chocolate from heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the sugar. Beat with a handheld electric mixture until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing for 20 seconds between each egg to incorporate.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well blended.
• Using ladle or small measuring cup, fill the cupcake cups 2/3 of the way full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cup and press down slightly. Bake until the cupcakes are firm to the touch about 20 minutes.
• To prepare the frosting: Using a handheld electric beater, cream the cream cheese and butter together thoroughly. Add the chili power and cinnamon, mixing to incorporate. Add the salt, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. Finally, mix in the melted chocolate and blend thoroughly until smooth. If additional thickening is needed, add more sifted confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until a spreadable consistency is reached.

CHILI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
• Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, chile powder, cayenne, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract in a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment on first speed. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise. Add the dry ingredients, 1 scoop at a time, allowing each scoop to be incorporated before adding the next. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop the mixer and scrape down sides and bottom. Turn the mixer up to second speed and mix well. Turn the mixer off. Add the chocolate chips and fold in by hand. Fill the cupcake liners using a 2-ounce scoop. Bake for 15 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cupcake, if it comes out clean they are ready to be removed from the oven. Let cool completely before decorating.
• To assemble: Place a star tip #849 in a large piping bag. Fill with Dark Chocolate Ganache and generously frost each cupcake. Mix equal parts gold dust with vodka to make an edible gold paint. Using a small round brush, paint the edges of the ganache with the edible gold paint. Garnish by placing 1 large and 5 small sugar diamonds on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with edible gold glitter.
• Make your own double boiler by filling a pot half way with hot water. Let the water come to a boil. Place a metal bowl over the pot, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Put the chocolate in the bowl and stir to melt. When the chocolate is melted completely, remove from the heat. Scald the cream (to 180 degrees F) in a pot over medium heat. Pour the heated cream over the melted chocolate and slowly incorporate; the chocolate will appear glassy. Add the butter, in pieces, to the chocolate. Mix until all the butter has melted. Let set for 1 to 2 hours. The ganache is ready when it is a pipe-able consistency.

CHILI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Boil water in a kettle then measure out 1-1/4 cup.
• Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium sized bowl, add boiling water, whisk until smooth, set aside.
• Sift flours, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Add the ground pepper, set aside.
• In a standing mixer, beat butter until creamy.
• Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• At medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beat well between each.
• Add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined.
• Add about a third of the flour mixture, beat briefly until combined.
• Add about half of the chocolate mixture, beat briefly until combined.
• Repeat, adding flour, chocolate, then flour. Beat until just combined. Scrape down bowl if needed.
• Fill cupcake papers about 3/4s full. Bake at 350 degree oven for 22-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Beat white sugar, brown sugar, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer until thoroughly blended and creamy. Add egg; beat well. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Combine flour, 2/3 cup cocoa powder, baking powder, coffee, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a second bowl. Blend with a whisk until fluffy and no clumps appear. Alternate adding the flour mixture and 1 cup milk into the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3-full of batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 25 minutes.
• Beat butter in the bowl of the stand mixer; add confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until creamy. Add 2 tablespoons milk; mix until frosting is creamy. Mix in 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Fit a piping bag with a coupler and tip. Drop piping bag into a tall glass and fold edges down around the glass. Spoon frosting into the bag. Gather edges and twist together. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.