Sweet and Spicy as a dessert, has never tasted so good!
Soft and tender Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes are filled with a Dulce de Leche Sauce and topped with a spread of Whipped Dulce de Leche Frosting giving enough sweetness to brace the mild kick of Cayenne Pepper.
Talk about a sweet indulgence with a little kick! These Mexican chocolate cupcakes are super soft, not overly sweet and have a little spice from the cayenne pepper.
Inspired by my Mexican Chocolate Pie, I continued the trend and turned that pie into one of my favorite desserts, cupcakes. Filled the center with about a teaspoon of dulce de leche which is a caramelized sweetened condensed milk, and created a whipped frosting using some of the remaining dulce de leche sauce. The cupcakes are phenomenal and that’s saying a lot coming from someone who’s not into anything spicy!
You can smell the sweet chocolatiness in the air. The cayenne kick is a surprising note not immediately observed. It’s when you swallow the cake, that’s when you get a small indication there’s a little heat to the cupcakes. Definitely not overwhelming as the spice is very light. So light, in fact, I’ve been told it reminds them of gingerbread cupcakes.
If you’re into spicy foods, and know that a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper may not be enough, feel free to go a little heavier. Maybe 1 teaspoon could be perfect for you. I’m such a baby when it comes to spicy foods so I have to go light or else too much could ruin it for me. I also wanted to make sure the spiciness doesn’t overshadow the sweet and vice versa.
How to Make Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes
See the full recipe and instructions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Dulce de Leche Frosting
The process of making these cupcakes is slightly different from the standard cake baking of creaming the butter and sugar together, then adding eggs one at a time. I used a similar method as explained in these Baileys Devil’s Food Cupcakes where beating of the eggs are done all at once, followed by the addition of sugar and then the fat.
The devil’s food cupcakes used mayonnaise which left the cupcakes incredibly rich and soft. I attempted this method a few times to create the same effect when making the Mexican chocolate cupcakes and unfortunately, they resulted in a dry, gummy texture. They were so bad, it would have been embarrassing to share them with friends. After a few more failed attempts of manipulating quantities and methods, I decided to stick with what I knew would work, sour cream and oil. Like magic, the cupcakes were a hit!
And this frosting is a unique one that’s SO EASY to make. I used my Spiced Cake with Dulce de Leche Frosting as reference. But this time, less dulce de leche was used to help reduce the sweetness since the cupcake is filled with this caramel-like sauce. Overall, these cupcakes would be perfect for someone who enjoys sweet and spicy flavors together. Make them for Valentine’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Christmas or just because!
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Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Frosting
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Sweet and Spicy as a dessert, has never tasted so good!
Soft and tender Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes are filled with a Dulce de Leche Sauce and topped with a spread of Whipped Dulce de Leche Frosting giving enough sweetness to brace the mild kick of Cayenne Pepper.
Ingredients
MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- 1 1/2 (180 grams) cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (224 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) sour cream
- 1/2 cup (112 grams) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) Mexican vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) milk
DULCE DE LECHE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 to 4 cups (345 to 460 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 (13.4 oz.) can (380 grams) dulce de leche
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) heavy cream
OTHER
- cinnamon sugar
- cinnamon sticks (optional)
Instructions
- CUPCAKES: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 18 cupcake wells with a cupcake liner; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt and baking powder; Set aside.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment on high speed, beat eggs for 2 minutes or until frothy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until light in color and fluffy. Add sour cream, oil and vanilla and continue to beat until just combined.
- Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in batches alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each cupcake liner; about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating pans about halfway through baking. Cupcakes are ready when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry with just a few crumbs. Allow cupcakes to cool on a wire rack to room temperature before frosting.
- FILLING: Place 6 tablespoons of dulce de leche into a small bowl. Using a small cupcake corer or knife, remove the center of each cupcake. Fill the empty center with up to 1 teaspoon of dulce de leche.
- FROSTING: In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually increase speed to high to create a smooth buttercream. Add 2 tablespoons (39 grams) of dulce de leche, cinnamon and salt, continue to beat until smooth. Add heavy cream and continue to beat until a spreadable consistency is achieved. If the frosting is too thick, add more dulce de leche 1 tablespoon at a time. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time.
- Place a dollop of frosting onto the top of each cupcake. Using the back of the spoon, press into the center of the dollop applying light pressure and turn the cupcake in one direction. Quickly release the spoon up to create a tip of the frosting. If a cleaner edge is needed, use a butterknife or angled spatula and run it along the edge. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and for decoration, top with a small cinnamon stick.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Category: Cupcakes
Keywords: mexican chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, cayenne pepper in cupcakes, latin desserts, mexican cupcakes
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