Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Never have I ever been a fan of anything spicy. I am probably the biggest baby when it comes to hot foods out of almost everyone I know (mild salsa burns the dickens out of my mouth) but for some reason I have been wanting spicy food lately for the first time in my life! Hot and Spicy Cheez-It's, craving some Drunken Noodle from Sugar Thai (the local Thai restaurant, I ordered it at a spice level of 2 and I didn't have enough soda to outweigh the spiciness of the dish, even though it was heavenly) and when I saw a recipe from Write Meg! for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, well, I couldn't stop myself.

The only problem was, I've never really been a fan of hot chocolate. I mean growing up I would be more than thrilled to drink it when it was snowing outside. One year after playing in the snow with the neighbor kids across the street their mom made us all hot cocoa and something made me laugh so hard that it shot out of my nose. Kind of gross, I know, but one of the many memories of cocoa I remember from my childhood.

However, I think the number one time I drank hot cocoa was on the 3rd of July each year after watching the fireworks at my grandparents with my cousins. I still remember when we would all pile up on the party boat and sit in the middle of the lake covered in our blankets and jackets trying to stay warm during the show, me always falling asleep halfway through, then getting back to the house and grandma making hot cocoa for all of us.

Now even though I don't really enjoy the chocolaty drink anymore, I thought what the heck. Why not try something new. I mean ALMOST everything is good in cupcake form right?

So walah! That's how these cupcake were born! A little bit of spicy chocolaty goodness in a little bite of heaven (I made them mini's instead of regular cupcakes) topped with cream cheese frosting to help give a little sweetness to the bite. Yes, bite.

Needless to say, I am in love with these cupcakes. Yes, I love these cupcakes. I love the kick of the cayenne combined with the chocolate (I was eating them like a crazy women without ANY frosting on top!) because it's something a little different from the norm, breaking the mold of what a cupcake should be. And, drum roll please, they are extremely, extremely, EXTREMELY simple to put together.

Dry ingredients in a bowl, combine, wet ingredients in the dry, combine. Ta da! Simple as that.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes, or 3 dozen mini cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or bowl with an electric mixer) combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. If you have a sensitivity to spice, go easy on the cayenne pepper.

Next, add the vegetable oil, water, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar to the dry ingredients and fully combine using a stand mixer or electric mixer to make sure all ingredients are fully combined. If using a stand mixer, make sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and give the batter a quick mix.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way and bake for 15-20 minutes (even the mini's take 15-20 minutes) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack until room temperature.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 block cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the vanilla and mix until fully combined. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix until stiff and creamy.