How to make Chilli Chocolate Cupcakes?

The cupcake is a combination of –

Chocolate Cupcakes – These tender, moist and chocolate cupcakes make the base. The added Chilli/Paprika and Cinnamon give it the warm flavour.
Hot Chocolate Buttercream – The perfect topping to the chocolate cupcake, the chocolate buttercream with a hint of chilli and cinnamon. Yes, there is chilli added to the buttercream too and no, its not spicy.
Topped with chilli flakes. This is completely optional.

Super easy to make. 🙂

Tips for buttercream!

The buttercream calls for unsalted butter and it is better to use that, since salted butter will make the frosting very salty. Also, use good quality butter as regular local butter contains excess water and that may lead to a runny buttercream that is difficult to pipe. (Out of experience, sadly).
The second major ingredient is Icing sugar. This is something you would not want to substitute with powdered sugar made at home, since that leads to a grainy buttercream with sugar crystals. If you would like to still make it at home, make sure to powder the sugar verryy fine and add some cornstarch to it! (1 tsp Cornstarch for 100 g of powered sugar).
Beat the butter well before adding icing sugar. The butter should be fluffy.
If the buttercream is too stiff, add a tablespoon of cream. If too runny, add icing sugar.

STORING THE CUPCAKES

These cupcakes will stay well at room temperature for 3-4 days. For hotter climates, refrigerate the cupcakes and they should stay well for upto 5 days. The buttercream will become stiff in the refrigerator as the butter will become cold. Bring them to room temperature before serving. It is better to frost them right before serving.

Like this recipe? Other homemade cupcake and muffins recipes to try –

Chilli Chocolate Cupcakes

Recipe by thecrumbstoriesCourse: DessertCuisine: Dessert

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

These Chilli Chocolate cupcakes are ultra moist and rich, with a hint of spicy. Just ‘WOW‘.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes
130 g All-purpose flour
120 g Granulated Sugar
50 g Brown Sugar
50 g Cocoa Powder
¾ Tsp Baking Soda
½ Tsp Salt, skip if using salted butter
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Chilli powder/Paprika
120 ml Buttermilk
85 g Unsalted Butter, melted
10 ml Oil
1 Tsp Instant Coffee + ½c Hot water or ½ cup Fresh Brewed coffee
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Chili Chocolate Buttercream
200 g Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
320 g Icing Sugar
50 g Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Paprika / Chilli Powder
3 tbsp Heavy / Fresh Cream

Directions

For the chocolate cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.
In a bowl, add the wet ingredients except coffee and hot water. Beat till combined.
Now, in another bowl, sift all the dry ingredients.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Combine well.
Now mix the coffee in hot water and add it to the mixture. Give it a good mix
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Fill the cupcake liners with the batter until 2/3 full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 mins or till a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.
Chilli Chocolate Buttercream
In a bowl, beat the softened room temperature butter with the help of an electric mixer for 3-4 minutes or until pale.
Sift the icing Sugar into a bowl and add it to the butter in two batches, beating well in between each.
Add in the Cocoa powder, Cinnamon and paprika/chili powder and mix till well incorporated.
Now, add fresh cream/ heavy cream and beat well.
Once you get the desired pipe able consistency, put the cream in a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice.
Now pipe it over the cooled cakes.
Top with chili flakes. (Optional)