While reading Jasmine Guillory’s The Proposal, the two main characters (Nik and Carlos) are in and out of Nik’s best-friends cupcake shop. You all I am a sucker for a cupcake and I couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome it would be to have my own cupcake shop and just create beautiful cupcakes for the rest of my life.

After I finished the book, I decided that I would attempt to make one of the famous Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes that are mentioned throughout the storyline. I love spicy, I love chocolate but I had never tried to combine the two. What I created was a savory cupcake, which had just enough kick to it but it also satisfied my sweet tooth. I will say that I wish I had added a little bit more spice but I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone who gave them a try. If you choose to try this recipe, use your own judgment in deciding how much spice to add.

Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Ingredients Part 1:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

3 tbsp. ancho chili powder

¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. salt

Ingredients Part 2:

½ cup of almond milk (you can use regular milk)

¼ cup of butter

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

½ cup of unsweet apple sauce

Frosting Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4-5 cups of powdered sugar

2 tbs. almond milk (or regular milk)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. chili powder

Red Pepper Flakes

Piping bag

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners
3. Mix all of Part 1 ingredients together
4. Melt butter in the microwave
5. Add butter and all of Part 2 ingredients together
6. Combine Parts 1 and 2 together; mix well
7. Pour the batter into the lined muffin pans
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes– depends on your oven
9. Remove from oven
10. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes
11. Move to a cooling rack
12. Let cool completely

In the meantime, you can begin making your icing!

Instructions:

1. Place cream cheese into a mixer and beat until smooth
2. Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili powder (add more if you want spicier); blend well
3. Add milk and powdered sugar together (one cup at time)
4. Place mixture into a piping bag
5. Place the piping bag into the refridgerator (I usually set it in a glass so its upright)
6. Let cool for 2-3 hours
7. Remove and pipe onto cooled cupcfakes
8. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes

ENJOY!!