Travel Bites: Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes.

We started drinking Mexican Hot Chocolate a few years back when we lived in Old Town, San Diego. It was love at first taste. Sipping morning Mexican Hot Chocolates became our weekend ritual, and like the California Burrito, it is one of the things I miss most about San Diego–along with the beaches, Baja, the sunny days, surfing, West Coast IPAs and about a million other things.

Hungry for something decadent over the weekend, we decided to bring some San Diego flavor to New England after finding a recipe on Pinterest for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes. It turned out to be a pretty sweet Saturday, so we decided to share the recipe with you guys. Enjoy!

1¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk ( or 1 c. whole milk + 1 T. lemon juice)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 lg eggs
1½ tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and  fill the muffin pans with 24 paper cupcake liners.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Then mix on low speed to combine.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Keep the mixer on low and slowly stir in the boiling water, scraping bottom of the bowl with rubber spatula.
4. Pour batter into muffin pan, filling cups 2/3 full, and bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Cool on wire rack.

Cinnamon-Cocoa Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4½ cup confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa powder
¼ cup milk or cream

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until it’s light and fluffy.
2. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, then the vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
3. Add milk or cream and beat until creamy and the desired spreading consistency.
4.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Additionally, you can also add a smidgen of cayenne pepper to the top of the cupcake.

*Recipe adapted from Beth’s Home Cooking.

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