Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes filled with Nutella Chili Chocolate Ganache and Chili Cream Cheese Frosting |
Prep time: 40 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Total time: 1 hour 5 mins
- For the cupcakes:
- 2 cups sifted cake flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ground red pepper flakes (add more if you like it spicier)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- -
- For the ganache:
- 6 ounces (170 g) good dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (146 g) Nutella
- 3 Tablspoons (43 g) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup (158 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- -
- For the frosting:
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar (original recipe calls for 4 cups)
- 1 package, 8 ounces (228 g) cream cheese, at room temp.
- 8 Tablespoons (114 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract, clear
- cinnamon sticks for decoration
- For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour 24 muffin cups.
- Mix and sift flour, cocoa, sugar, pepper and baking powder together into a bowl. Add oil, vanilla, eggs, and milk; beat for 30 seconds with a mixer at low speed, scraping the bowl frequently. Beat for 7½ minutes more with a stand mixer at medium speed or 6 minutes with a hand mixer at high speed, scraping the bowl 4 – 5 times.
- Pour batter into pans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from oven and cool in pans for about 12 minutes. Remove muffins from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Use an apple corer to remove some of the center of the cupcake for the filling.
- Altitude adjustments: 6,500 – 8,500 feet: Decrease baking powder to 1¾ teaspoons. 8,500+ feet: Decrease baking powder to 1½ teaspoons. Increase milk by 1 tablespoon.
- -
- For the Ganache:
- In a small pot bring the cream to a boil. Take form the heat and add chocolate, Nutella and butter. Let sit for a few minutes.
- Slowly stir until everything is well incorporated.
- Mix in the chili. Add more chili (I added ground red pepper flakes) to adjust the spiciness to your liking.
- Let sit and cool for 30 minutes before filling the cupcake.
- Fill the cupcake using a small spoon with ganache until the ganache reaches the rims of the top of the cupcake.
- The cupcakes are now ready to be frosted.
- -
- For the frosting:
- In a bowl sift together the chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and confectioners' sugar. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for about 4 minutes.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix together.
- The frosting is now ready to be piped onto the cupcakes. Use a bigger tip for bigger swirls. Decorate with a cinnamon stick.
Recipe by My Kitchen in the Rockies | A Denver, Colorado Food Blog at http://www.mykitchenintherockies.com/2012/03/01/celebrating-two-years-of-blogging-with-spicy-chocolate-cupcakes-filled-with-nutella-chili-chocolate-ganache-and-chili-cream-cheese-frosting/
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