Spicy Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes Recipes

SALTED CARAMEL-CHOCOLATE-BOURBON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line thirty-two to thirty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the water and bourbon. Set aside.
• In a small microwave-safe bowl microwave unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1 minute; stir. Microwave, uncovered, for 30 seconds more; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined and scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and bourbon mixture to chocolate mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
• Bake about 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean (tops of cupcakes may sink slightly). Cool the cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Place Fudge Frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe a border around edges of cupcakes. Spoon about 1 teaspoon Salted Caramel into center of each cupcake. Sprinkle caramel lightly with sea salt. Makes 32 to 34 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes. Fudge Frosting
• In a large saucepan cook and stir chocolate and butter over low heat until melted. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Salted Caramel
• In a small saucepan combine whipping cream and bourbon. Heat over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Stir in caramels and sea salt. Heat until melted, stirring constantly.

BOURBON CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING AND BOURBON GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly spray cupcake pan with cooking spray. Line each cup with cupcake liners.
• In a small sauce pot, mix water with unsweetened cocoa powder. Bring to simmer and stir in bourbon. Simmer for about a minute and set aside to cool.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
• Separately, whisk together the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, eggs and sour cream.
• On low speed, slowly pour in the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Once it's combined, bring the speed up to medium and beat for about two minutes.
• Lower the speed to low again and slowly pour in the hot cocoa mixture. Mix until just combined. Turn off the mixer.
• Using the spatula, scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl, continue mixing with the spatula until the batter is smooth.
• Pour patter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way. I use an ice cream scoop to get even amount of batter each time. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Do a toothpick test at 18 minutes to check for doneness.
• Cool completely before frosting.
• Glaze should be prepared ahead of time to allow it enough time to cool before adding to cupcakes.
• In a small sauce pot, over medium heat, whisk sugar and bourbon together and bring it to simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the mixture is reduced in half. Cool completely.
• Warm the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave until melted and allow to cool slightly.
• Beat butter until it is fluffy (about 3-5 minutes) high speed, lower the speed to low and add in icing sugar and the egg yolk alternately, beating after each addition.
• The mixture should be very fluffy.
• With the mixer on medium low, gradually drizzle in melted chocolate.
• Transfer the frosting to the pastry bag and frost the cooled cupcakes.
• After the cupcakes are frosted, slowly drizzle with the glaze from the top, letting it pour down, and have some of it run off into the liner, that way it gets to the cupcake under the cupcake liner.

BOOZY BOURBON CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, water, oil, bourbon, eggs and vanilla. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full).
• Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for filling, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave whipping cream uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds or until boiling. Stir in remaining filling ingredients until chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave on High an additional 15 to 30 seconds until mixture can be stirred smooth. Cover; refrigerate about 60 minutes or until spreading consistency.
• For frosting, in large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, 1 cup butter and the vodka with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat additional powdered sugar until pipping consistency.
• To assemble, cut tops off each cupcake horizontally. Spread about 1 tablespoon filling onto bottom of each cupcake; add cupcake top. Pipe frosting on cupcake tops. Just before serving, drizzle each cupcake with 1/2 teaspoon coffee liqueur.

CHOCOLATE BOURBON PECAN CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a regular-size cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• Combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, milk, coffee, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
• To assemble: Poke a hole into each cupcake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill the cupcakes with about 1 teaspoon Chocolate Bourbon Ganache. Generously frost the top of each cupcake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Place 2 pieces of Pecan Praline Cookie in the top of each cupcake.
• Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated. Mix in the cocoa. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Put the frosting into a pastry bag and cut 1/2-inch off the tip.
• Place the semisweet chocolate chips in a heatproof glass bowl. Add the heavy whipping cream, place in the microwave and melt in 30 second intervals until completely melted. Using a hand whisk, whip the melted chocolate and cream until smooth. Add the bourbon. Put the ganache in a pastry bag.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place the heavy cream, granulated sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour and pecans. Spread the cookie batter onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let completely cool. When completely cooled, break into pieces.

BOURBON AND SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs and adding 2 tablespoons of the bourbon. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until smooth. Add remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon; beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes; sprinkle evenly with nutmeg.

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.