This dark chocolate cupcake is flavored with ancho for a nice chile flavor & cayenne for a bit of heat. After you mix the batter test it for heat. If it seems subtler than you wish or just where you want it add a little more cayenne, as it will lessen a little more during baking. I've also added cinnamon to the cupcake & frosting as that is traditional is Mexican chocolate.
I love that dark chocolate color!
Dark Chocolate Azteca Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
1/4 c unsalted butter
2 T Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
3 T water
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 T well beaten egg
2 T buttermilk
1/2 T vanilla
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/8 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ancho chile powder
1/8 t or more of cayenne depending if you like some heat
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 5 - 6 muffin tins.
Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ancho, cayenne and salt into the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (it will be a little bit lumpy).
Fill muffin tins to about 2/3 full for rounded cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean. It's a moist cake, so don't worry if a few crumbs stick to your tester.
Allow cupcakes to cool.
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare 5 - 6 muffin tins.
Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ancho, cayenne and salt into the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (it will be a little bit lumpy).
Fill muffin tins to about 2/3 full for rounded cupcakes. Bake for 20 minutes until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean. It's a moist cake, so don't worry if a few crumbs stick to your tester.
Allow cupcakes to cool.
Cinnamon Buttercream
1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
dash of vanilla
pinch of salt
Beat the butter until light & creamy. Beat in 1/4 c of sugar, cinnamon, vanilla & salt until combined. Continue to add the sugar 1/4 c at a time. Taste & add more cinnamon if you wish.
Makes 5 - 6 cupcakes
I'm submitting this to the Cinnamon Celebration over at A Southern Grace. You have never met anyone who loves cinnamon as much as Grace!
great photo in the oven!!! how cool is that?
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious! I've got to try them. I love the idea of a cinnamon buttercream, and the chiles in the chocolate is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteKat, this cupcakes look so gorgeous. And the recipe, wow... it's really tempting.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Elra
I'll be right over! They're gorgeous and HAVE to be delicious.
ReplyDeleteWow these looks so yummy delicious. Don't give all to annie i am aslo comming over :-)
ReplyDeleteOh yum...
ReplyDeleteSomething chocolatey with some heat -- love it. And the cinnamon buttercream just makes it even more wonderful!
ReplyDeletei reiterate: these are phenomenal. thanks again. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful photograph!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I just wanted to let you know that on Sunday morning I am starting a new weekly posting (Sunday Shout Outs) where I blog about some of my favorite posts from other bloggers. This week your Dark Chocolate & Lavender Cocoa made my list. Thanks for posting such great stuff!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I love cocoa and pepper together! I am bookmarking this to try the cinnamon buttercream. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteNice entry Kat. You're lovin' that dark chocolate cocoa these days :)
ReplyDeleteKat, it's stunning...is there any extra icing left...I want to smear more on the bottom part.
ReplyDeleteYum! I made the cinnamon buttercream tonight to go with a batch of Mexican chocolate cupcakes I freehanded. That icing is amazing! I love your recipe because it only makes 5-6 cupcakes!! That's the perfect number! If I make a whole bunch then I eat them all! Especially with that fantastic icing on it!
ReplyDeleteI just made these today, and I have to tell you, these are the best cupcakes I have ever had in my entire life. I am not kidding. My husband, who is not a sweets person at all, just about swooned when he took a bite. I can not even begin to adequately describe how great these are. I posted about my experience on my site (linked).
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have to echo what the commenter above said: the 6-cupcake batch is just brilliant. I don't have to commit to having a house full of cupcakes to make these. I can just whip these up whenever my husband and I feel like having them.
The only thing I would say is that I found the frosting recipe actually made much more than was necessary, even for pretty generously frosted cupcakes. Hard to complain about that, though! You could practically just eat that frosting with a spoon, it's so good.
Hats off to you. This recipe is a winner.
hi there...such a pretty cupcake! i love the way you piped it...which tip did you use? i always have trouble piping a smooth pretty cupcake with the round tips...
ReplyDelete:) thanks!
Mia - I didn't use a tip at all just the coupler the tip would normally go on to. I find that its important to try to get the air out of the frosting before piping.
ReplyDeletethanks kat! i am going to try!!
ReplyDeleteby "...getting the air out of the frosting..."
do you mean once in piping bag? burp the bag so to speak? thanks again!!
Mia - Yes, try to make sure you've got the frosting pushed to the end of the bag so you don't have lots of air bubbles.
ReplyDeletethank you!! thank you!
ReplyDeletewill try and post pics...
www.buttergoodness.wordpress.com
:) mia
These look insanely good! Yum!!
ReplyDeleteFound you on A Southern Grace's Cinnamon Celebration post. These look wonderful.. Love your blog, photos are to die for.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stunning cupcake! It sounds as good as it looks.
ReplyDeleteI found these on Grace's Cinnamon Celebration-- they were so gorgeous we just had to try them. They turned out great, if not as pretty as yours! DC (my Darlin' Companion) LOVED the heat! Such a great idea! I know we'll be making these again. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete:) Karen
I just made these cupcakes and they are awesome! The cayenne adds the perfect touch that makes them unique, definitely a keeper recipe!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
2T of egg? Not 2 eggs?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Yes, 2 Tablespoons of beaten egg. You'll notice this is a small batch of cupcakes, only 5 - 6. So what you are using is about 1/2 an egg.
ReplyDeleteWOW sounds delish!!! I am going to attempt these this weekend! Im from MN as well, and this weekend doesnt look particularly spring-y yet! I cant wait to warm up with these!
ReplyDelete