Description
Dark chocolate cupcakes with a gentle chili kick topped with creamy chili cream cheese frosting. Perfect for parties and chili cook-offs with a sweet and spicy flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (18.25 ounce) box devil’s food chocolate cake mix
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 24 small dried red chiles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners
- Whisk cake mix, 1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl
- Add water, vegetable oil, and eggs and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes
- Fill muffin cups about two thirds full with batter
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
- Cool cupcakes completely before frosting
- Sift 1 teaspoon ancho chile pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and confectioners sugar together
- Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth then mix into the sugar mixture
- Add vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth frosting forms
- Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes and garnish with a dried red chile
Notes
- Adjust cayenne pepper for stronger or milder spice
- Always frost cupcakes only after they cool completely
- Sift spices with sugar to keep frosting smooth
- Store cupcakes in refrigerator due to cream cheese frosting
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg