Description
These Spicy Devil’s Food Cupcakes combine rich, moist chocolate cupcakes with a bold spicy cayenne chocolate ganache filling and a luscious chocolate fudge icing. Perfect for those who love a decadent treat with a kick, these cupcakes offer deep chocolate flavors enhanced by the warmth of cinnamon and cayenne pepper, making them an irresistible dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Devil’s Food Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup black coffee, cooled
Spicy Cayenne Chocolate Ganache
- 1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Fudge Icing
- 1 cup dark chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard cupcake pans with about 30 cupcake liners and set aside to prepare for baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes light in color and fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Lower the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and cooled black coffee. This will add moisture and enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Alternate Mixing: Alternately add the dry flour mixture and the buttermilk-coffee blend to the creamed mixture in ⅓ to ½ cup intervals, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix each addition until just incorporated, scraping the bowl and paddle as necessary to ensure even mixing.
- Fill Cupcake Liners and Bake: Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Ganache: Place the finely chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe cup in 30-second intervals for 1½ to 2 minutes until hot. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.
- Whisk Ganache: Whisk the chocolate and cream together starting from the center of the bowl in small circular motions until smooth and fully combined. Stir in the softened butter, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and vanilla extract until completely blended. Chill the ganache for at least one hour before using.
- Fill Cupcakes: Using a knife, cut a ¾ to 1-inch hole in the center of each cupcake about halfway down. Fill a pastry or zipper bag with the cooled ganache and pipe it into each cupcake until it just peeks over the top.
- Make Chocolate Fudge Icing: Sift together cocoa powder (or dark chocolate if preferred) and powdered sugar in the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed to combine.
- Add Butter and Vanilla: Add softened butter and vanilla extract to the bowl and whip until incorporated. Then increase the speed to high and whip for 4 to 5 minutes until the icing is lighter in color and increased in volume.
- Finish Icing: Add the heavy whipping cream and a pinch of salt on low speed until mixed, then whip on high for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and spreadable.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Spoon the icing into a pastry bag fitted with your favorite cupcake tip and pipe swirls on top of each filled cupcake. Optionally, garnish with red-dyed white fondant shaped into horns and tails and sprinkle with red sugar for a devilish touch.
Notes
- For an extra decorative touch, use white fondant dyed red shaped into tiny horns and tails to garnish the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle the cupcakes with a little red sugar to enhance the spicy devil theme.
- Ensure all wet ingredients like eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature for better batter integration.
- You can substitute black coffee with strong brewed espresso for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Allow the ganache to cool sufficiently before filling cupcakes to prevent melting the cake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
