chocolate | cinnamon | cupcakes | recipe | vanilla

Cinnamon vanilla cupcakes with Mexican hot chocolate buttercream.

September 21, 2008

Last fall I made Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes for Thanksgiving, and they were much loved. So loved, in fact, I didn’t even get to have one once they were finished- I only got to eat some batter before they were made. But anyway everyone raved about them and my dad ended up eating most of them, not to mention he got very territorial about them. So I’m always looking for ways to top myself, or at least vary a theme thats well-known and loved. So I decided I’d make this recipe this year for Thanksgiving.. and no, you didn’t just wake up from a coma and miss the past 2 months. Its nowhere near Thanksgiving yet. I basically wanted to test it out since it was originally a cake recipe and the frosting was made up in my own head, so I wasn’t 100% sure that it would work very well. And I figured, if I tested it out now, I’d also be able to enter it in Cupcake Hero’s latest challenge. Two birds with one stone- thats what I’m all about, baby.

I love Mexican Hot Chocolate. We used to drink Abuelita (made by Nestlé using artificial cinnamon) and Ibarra (more authentic) all the time ’round here. Its different than regular Swiss Miss, in case you don’t already know that. Its hotter, and spicier, and doesn’t come powdered. It comes in blocks of chocolate you have to break apart and cook on the stove top to melt, with milk. Its absolutely delicious and if you’ve never had it- go do so right now. I command you. Go ahead, I’ll wait.. .. . . . … . . .. . *whistles* .. . .. .. . .

Okay, you back? Good. So anyway like I was saying, I love Mexican Hot Chocolate. I think its a great concept to apply to baking, whether its cookies or cupcakes or cake or frosting. And since I’ve done the cupcake thing, this time its the frosting thing. I also love anything Dia de los Muertos related, so of course I made sugar skull cupcake toppers. And the cinnamon vanilla cake is simply to die for. This recipe was adapted from a wedding cake recipe by Michelle Doll, of Michelle Doll Cakes. I not only made it into cupcakes, but also completely re-did the frosting recipe based on my needs and what I had handy. I made my buttercream without using measurements, so this is the best idea of what I did that I can give you. If you try it and its wrong in some way, please let me know.

CINNAMON VANILLA CUPCAKES

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter in a stand mixer until smooth and light. Add sugar and continue to mix until fully incorporated and fluffy.
  2. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.
  4. Combine milk and vanilla. Add portions of the flour mixture and milk mixture to the electric mixer, alternating, starting and ending with flour. Pour evenly into cupcake pans lined with paper liners, about ½ – ¾ full.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cupcakes spring back to the touch.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 4 -5 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons coffee (2 tablespoons MADE coffee, not just 2 tbsp coffee granules)

Directions:

  1. Cream butter in the bowl of an stand mixer.
  2. Add 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coffee and ¼ cup milk. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  3. Add 2 cups sugar and vanilla. Mix. Add the rest of the sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix. If needed, add ¼ cup more milk, or 1 cup sugar. Continue until consistency is satisfactory.*
  4. Frost completely cooled cupcakes. Enjoy.

*I added shortening for a quarter of the amount of butter to stabilize it, but if you don’t have shortening, you can use a smidge cream of tartar to help stabilize it, as the coffee sometimes causes it to separate and get wilty, but when I say smidge I mean smidge… its very acidic tasting so if you go overboard you’ll ruin the flavor of the frosting.

Okay so these were pretty awesome. And they look really pretty. ¡Qué linda! I kinda figured they would be awesome. Its just good to test drive a recipe sometimes. I think the frosting came out really spectacular, but then again like I’ve mentioned, I love Mexican hot chocolate and I like hot and spicy stuff. Its very subtle hot though, its not really in your face, so I don’t know if anyone would complain about it. Unless they weren’t familiar with Mexican Hot Chocolate and didn’t understand why there was chili in their buttercream. In which case- you should not be friends with those people, they’re crazy. Go feed ’em to el chupacabra (and while you’re at it, I know a few more people you can throw to the goat sucker… contact me for a complete list).

They were a success! Although when I make ’em for turkey day I probably won’t use skulls on top. Heh. You can definitely tell theres cayenne and chili in it, its got a kick after the initial taste. But its not overpowering.

¡Viva la cupcakes!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
PSST... SHARE THIS:
Facebook Twitter Email
Cinnamon vanilla cupcakes Mexican hot chocolate buttercream

Only registered users can comment.

  1. I AM MAKING THIESE FOR SURE AS SOON AS IT STARTS TO COOL DOWN!
    THEY LOOK SOOOOO YUMMY AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE SISTER TO TRY THEM

  2. Pingback: Cinnamon vanilla cupcakes with Mexican hot chocolate buttercream.

  3. That buttercream sounds amazing! And the toothpick art – adorable. 🙂

    I might have to try making these; how great would they be for dia de los muertos with actual sugar skulls sitting on top? (miniaturized, of course).

    Thank you!

  4. Yoyo: the cake is amazing… I mean the frosting came out pretty damn good but the cake… you can eat it by itself!

    Carrie Mae: The sugar skull idea is great- I always wanted to make them! And I love your website 🙂

  7. ooh these sound so delicious! i will have to try them this weekend!!

    lol @ feeding them to el chupacabra lmaoooo

    i always scare kids with el cucuy 😀

  9. would it alter the taste of the frosting if i used regular butter instead of the unsalted butter??

    thanks!

  10. Carina- I don’t think there would be any noticable difference. I’ve used salted butter before in frosting and it seemed just fine to me. If you’re using salted butter in a frosting recipe that calls for a pinch salt, just omit that extra pinch of salt. 🙂

  11. I freaking love cinnamon, it is my crack. Looking forward to trying these beauties!

    Mostly I’m jealous of the Day of the Dead picks, I’ll have a song I learned in Spanish class of yore in my head for the rest of the day.

  12. Pingback: In the kitchen « Let Them Eat Cake

  13. I love cinnamon too, its a fantastic spice isn’t it?

    Haha I love those picks, I think they’re my favorite ones I’ve made. Now that you mentioned Spanish class, I’m thinking of the ‘Days of the Week’ song I learned in mine!

  14. Just made these for my roommates….oh my goodness they turned out amazing! That icing is to die for! and cinnamon really is the best spice.

    OM NOM NOM NOM CINNAMON

  16. Pingback: Cupcake Rehab - Jessie Steele (inspired) pumpkin cupcakes!

  19. the cocoa powder…do you use sweetened or unsweetened? thanks!! going to make the recipe today!

  23. Yum! Just finished making these and they are delish. I like the kick of the icing. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  25. Pingback: Daily food for thought + other stuff 11/23/2009 « happykatie eats
  26. Pingback: Daily food for thought + other stuff 11/23/2009 | hungrykatie + her damn good eats + recipes cooking blog

  27. I just finished making these wonderful cupcakes. I have a few questions. My cupcakes came out mostly hard on the outside and spongy on the inside. Even when I baked them for 10 minutes less, they still came out kinda hard. I followed the instructions to the T minus using a stand mixer (because I don’t have one.) Would that make the difference? Or maybe, I only had extra large eggs, would the extra egg make the difference? Maybe I added the flour too fast? Any ideas?

    Last question, the recipe for the frosting calls for cinnamon, but no where in the instructions does it call to add it in. Is it just to dust the cupcakes after icing them? Or should I have added it when adding the chili powder etc.?

  28. Hi Sarah Kristin!

    About the cinnamon- yes, that was me omitting it in the typing of the ingredients. It should go in with the chili powder. Hope that helps.

    About the hardness of the cake, I doubt the stand mixer would make a difference, if anything usually stand mixers make batter tougher if you aren’t careful. SO I can’t really imagine why that happened to you. I don’t know if it’s the egg, perhaps it is, I’ve only ever used medium or large in my baking unless the recipe called for extra large, so really I’m not sure. It could be your oven too, the humidity/dryness of where you live, altitude, etc… there are lots of variables in baking. But that’s the best answer I can give you! Sorry 🙁

  29. Thanks for the speedy reply! My mother in law, who is an avid baker, says that they probably came out harder because my muffin pan is dark silver and the darker pans run hotter. Do you think that might be it? She said to turn the oven down by 25 degrees and it would come out right. I do plan on remaking these as soon as I recover from my sugar overload. 🙂

  31. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I am completely excited to try…I want to make them for a friend’s baby shower. My question–based on your recipe above, how many cupcakes can I expect to yield from the recipe as written?
    Thanks!

  35. Mmm I just made these for me and my boyfriend for dessert tonight. They came out beautifully and tasted delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe. 🙂

  37. Exactly what I’m looking for to share at our Cinco de Mayo party this week!!!!!! Thank you! I was so afraid I’d have to improvise my own recipe at the last minute (because unlike your superior planning skillz, I haz none). But thanks you your lovely self, I will be the favorite at the potluck!!! =D I credit thee. {Bowing politely}

  41. So these look amazing, I will totally make them this weekend. Question: I so don’t like coffee, is the coffee a strong flavor in the frosting?

  43. hi these look great..i was just wondering if you’ve ever tried making it with creamcheese frosting instead of buttercream?

  45. Ever since I discovered this recipe about 6 months ago, they have been my go-to cupcakes. I spice them differently for different holidays, mess around with the ingredients in the frosting, dye them different colors…and they always turn out amazing. Thank you for coming up with such a great and versatile recipe, and for teaching me how to make my new favorite cupcakes!

  47. Hello, Hello..
    First I’d like to say.. I’m InLove with your Cupcake Rehab Blog! I’m about to attempt these beautiful Cinnamon Vanilla Cupcakes with Mexican Hot Chocolate Buttercream Frosting! My question to you is.. How on earth do you make your Frosting look so perfect when you apply it to the top of the Cupcake?!?!? And Second.. I’m making these for an office party we’re having tomorrow and I want to succeed in this attempt.. How would you recommend I do this? Make the Cupcakes First then Frost them tomorrow just before the party?! I’m so excited to make these.. I can’t wait to get off work today!

    Thank you, Thank you.. From one Cupcake Lover to Another! -alissa turosik

  48. Hi Alissa! Thanks for reading the blog!

    Okay first, I have 2 frosting tutorials on the blog, they might help you. You can get to them both from here: http://cupcakerehab.com/category/tutorial/

    Second, I’d say you can definitely make them the night before & frost them the next day, that should be totally fine. That way at least you know they’ll be cool enough!

    Good luck, let me know how it goes… 🙂

  51. Pingback: Workout Playlists and Fantastical Cupcakes | finding a new life through food.

  52. Im going to make them for a live auction– It’s Cinco De Mayo themed and these are just what I’m looking for! Thanks!

    Also, Do you have any other decoration ideas because they need to turn heads.

  54. Thank you so much! I tried out your recipe and it was fantastic! Thank you for the sites I’m pretty sure I’ve found a good one! Thanks again for your speedy reply!

  56. Pingback: Spiced Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting - Quick Feet, Good Eats
  59. Pingback: Feliz Navidad! Orange Cupcakes with Mexican Hot Chocolate Buttercream « legallybaked

  62. Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and
    in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts.
    Any way I will be subscribing to your feeds and
    even I achievement you access consistently rapidly.

  63. I’ve been exploring for a little bit for any high quality articles or blog posts in this sort of area .
    Exploring in Yahoo I finally stumbled upon this website.
    Reading this information So i’m happy to express that I have an incredibly just right uncanny feeling I came upon exactly
    what I needed. I such a lot certainly will make sure to
    don’t disregard this web site and give it a glance regularly.

  64. I do agree with all the concepts you have presented to
    your post. They’re very convincing and can certainly
    work. Nonetheless, the posts are too brief for newbies.
    May you please prolong them a little from next time?
    Thank you for the post.

  65. I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme.
    Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you?

    Plz reply as I’m looking to create my own blog and would like to find out where u got this
    from. thanks

  68. Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement
    account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you!
    However, how can we communicate?

  69. Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.

  71. I needed to create you a bit of word to finally say thanks over again for these extraordinary views you have
    shown on this page. This has been really particularly generous
    with you to allow unreservedly exactly what many of us
    might have distributed as an ebook to get some profit on their own,
    certainly seeing that you could have done it
    if you ever considered necessary. These good ideas likewise
    worked to be a great way to fully grasp that most
    people have similar zeal much like my own to know whole lot more when it comes
    to this problem. Certainly there are several more fun occasions ahead for people who look over
    your blog.

  73. You’ve made some decent points there. I looked on the internet
    to find out more about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this site.

  74. Remarkable things here. I’m very happy to look your article.

    Thank you a lot and I am having a look ahead to touch you.

    Will you kindly drop me a mail?

  76. What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It
    absolutely useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & aid other users like its
    helped me. Good job.

  77. Can I simply say what a relief to discover somebody who truly understands what they are discussing on the internet.
    You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important.

    More people must look at this and understand this side of
    the story. I was surprised that you aren’t more popular given that you surely possess the gift.

Comments are closed.