Chocolate-Ginger Cupcakes with Ancho Chili-Chocolate Frosting
For those of you who don’t know, I can be insanely Type A. I make To-Do Lists for To-Do Lists, I cannot
leave my bed unmade, I believe in having a designated Laundry Day, and I now
know three different ways to clean the grout in my bathroom. So, when I work
with a frosting that doesn’t seem to want to be piped in a fluffy, sweet
spiral, I can get a little fussy. That’s why I am obsessed with this recipe, especially the frosting. The
cupcake itself is dense, spicy, and packed with flavor, and the frosting pipes
on smooth and glossy and tastes like rich fudge with a slight kick from the
multiple peppery spices inside.
Honestly, if you have never used a piping bag before, this is your starting point. Sometimes frostings can be a
little temperamental, but this frosting has a more fudge-like texture, which
makes it way easy to handle. So,
grab a piping bag (even a Ziploc with a corner snipped off will work!) and get
frostin’ these absolutely fabulous treats!
Chocolate-Ginger Cupcakes with Ancho Chili-Chocolate
Frosting
Chocolate-Ginger Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1
½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1
tbsp ground ginger
- 1
tsp baking powder
- ¼
tsp salt
- ¾
cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¾
cups chopped candied ginger
- 1
¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½
cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3
eggs
- ¾
cup milk
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare cupcake pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking powder, salt, and cocoa
- In a large bowl, use hand-mixer on medium-low to beat together the sugar and butter until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and the flour mixture to the sugar and butter bowl, one at a time, using the hand mixer to beat in the eggs after each addition.
- Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture in alternating additions. Starting with the flour mixture, and then the milk mixture. You will have three additions of flour, and two of milk. Beat the ingredients in after each addition with the hand mixer.
- Gently fold in the candied ginger using a spatula. Make sure it is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared cupcake pan, filling each cupcake space about ¾ full.
- Bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow the cupcakes to sit in pan for about 5-10 minutes.
- Gently
remove cupcakes from pan and move them to a cooling rack to cool
completely.
While the cupcakes are cooling, go ahead and prepare your:
Ancho Chili-Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1
½ cup heavy cream
- 4
tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2
tbsp ancho chili powder
- Pinch
of cayenne pepper (ground)
- 12
oz of semisweet chocolate chips
- 2
cups of powdered sugar
- Thai
chili peppers for decoration (optional)
Directions:
- Place
the chili powder, cayenne pepper, and the chocolate chips in a
medium-sized heatproof bowl.
- Place the butter and cream in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture has started to simmer.
- Pour the butter and cream mixture over the ingredients in the heatproof bowl.
- Wait about 30-40 seconds for the chocolate to start to melt, and then gently stir the ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
- Allow the bowl to stand at room temp for about an hour in order to firm up a bit.
- Pour one cup of the powdered sugar into the bowl with the chocolate mixture and, using a hand mixer, beat the powdered sugar into the chocolate mixture.
- Repeat using second cup of powdered sugar.
- Once
the ingredients are fully incorporated, fill up your piping bag and get to
work piping on sweet swirls of chocolaty goodness!
- Top
each frosting swirl with a fresh Thai chili pepper. They’re pretty, and
the really daring can enjoy those with their cupcake, too! (The following pictures are kinda similar...but I couldn't choose between them because they all looked so YUMMY!)
Til next time,
D
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