Chocolate Chile Pepper Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

The secret ingredient for this month’s Iron Cupcake Earth challenge is: Chili!!

This actually puzzled me at first. But then I re-read the post and she said 'think outside the box' and that's what I did. So my creative brain juices started working. I had seen a recipe recently about a chili cookie and thought it was odd and kept researching. Finally I found this recipe on Tanya's blog-Take the Cannoli and it looked like a winner. The chile used in this recipe is called New Mexico Ancho Chile which is actually a mild chile. I couldn't find the powder version at the mexican grocery stores I pass everyday driving home from work, so I just bought the package of whole ancho chiles. I then went home, removed the stems from the pods and broke the chiles into smaller pieces, then used the coffee grinder to grind them up to the consistency of ground coffee. Be careful if you do this, because you do get them on your hands and if you rub your eyes, it can make them burn a bit.

The cupcake is absolutely awesome! The chile spice flavor is subtle but it gives the chocolate a good kick and you don't taste it at first...until it hits the back part of your mouth.

Chocolate Chile Pepper Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Adapted from Take the Cannoli

2 cup AP flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened, natural cocoa powder
2 cups water
2 Tbsp New Mexico Ancho Chile Pepper (mild)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350*F and place cupcake liners into cupcake pans.

Using a mixer with a wire whip attachment, combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa and beat on low speed until well mixed.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the water with the chile powder over medium heat until simmering. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Add softened butter to the dry mixture and beat thoroughly on medium-low speed (mixture should be grainy). Raise the speed to medium and gradually add the remaining cup of water and the buttermilk. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Slowly add the hot water/chile mixture and continue to beat just until well combined. Don’t overbeat!

Fill cupcake molds about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes and let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened, natural cocoa powder
1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsp buttermilk
6 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp vanilla extract

Combine the butter and cocoa in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in buttermilk.

Using an electric mixer, add the powdered sugar a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Decorate cupcakes. (I used the chocolate transfer technique which is soo easy and awesome looking)

If the frosting is too stiff for your liking, add more buttermilk until it is the consistency you want.
Makes about 24 regular-sized cupcakes.