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Monday, December 14, 2015

Chocolate Chile Cupcakes

My friend loves spicy foods. When we go out to eat, she will ask the chef to make her dishes extra spicy. For her birthday, I knew I had to incorporate spice into her cupcakes. I took a basic chocolate recipe and added cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and chipotle chile powder. I topped the cupcakes with a cinnamon chocolate icing. I have to admit I may have added a little too much cayenne pepper for my tastes, but they got rave reviews—even from my friends who do not like spicy foods. I topped my friend's cupcake with a red jalapeno from my garden, which she devoured as if it were a sprinkle.



Chocolate Chile Cupcakes
Source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

1 and 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all-purpose and subbed out three tablespoons for corn starch.)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
3 teaspoons ancho chile powder (use less to make it less spicy)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less to make it less spicy)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and spices, and set aside. In another bowl, beat together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water with a hand mixer on medium-high speed. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake about 18–22 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.



Chocolate Cinnamon Icing
Source: adapted from Hershey

1 stick of butter
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Melt the butter, and stir in cocoa.
Add cinnamon, and alternately add powdered sugar and milk while beating.
If needed, add in more milk. Stir in vanilla. 

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