Cinco de Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Chili Cream Cheese Frosting

Dark chocolate cupcakes with a bite! These little chili cakes are topped with chili cream cheese frosting. This recipe was inspired from a combination of recommendations from AR Buzzers. Thanks all! They were a huge hit at our annual chili cook-off. Many wanted these cupcakes to be allowed as an entry. Add more chili and cayenne powder to taste (if you can take it).

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 274 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 ¼ cups water
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
• ½ teaspoon clear vanilla extract, or to taste
• 1 (18.25 ounce) box devil's food chocolate cake mix
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar, or more as needed
• 24 small dried red chiles

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Step 2

Whisk cake mix, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Beat in water, vegetable oil, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed; beat for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them 2/3 full.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

Sift 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and cinnamon with confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; mix in vanilla extract.

Step 5

Spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes in attractive swirls. Poke a small dried chile, stem-side up, into frosting as a garnish.