Add a bit of spice to your life with these indulgent chocolate chilli cupcakes; the perfect quick weekend bake!
Bizarrely enough, the chocolate and chilli combination is a favourite with my children, especially my younger children who, if a piece of freshly ground cracked black pepper should dare to appear in their dinner lament, with great theatrical gusto: “Fire in the mouth! Fire in the mouth!”
It makes no sense whatsoever, but hey ho, that’s kids for you!
Chocolate and chilli is a flavour combination that goes back for thousands of years, or so we learned when we were on our family Belgium Chocolate Experience in Brussels this summer.
Cacao seeds: the gift of Quetzalcoatl
The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and they were traded as currency. A bitter fermented drink was prepared from the crushed seeds, mixed with spices. It wasn’t until chocolate was brought to Europe in the 16th century that we added sugar to it, and it started to resemble the chocolate taste we know now.
The Mayans mixed their roasted cacao seeds with water, chilli and corn meal, pouring the drink from vessel to vessel until the drink had a frothy foam on the top. Ancient hot chocolate!
Now, chocolate is one of the most consumed ingredients in the world.
It’s eaten pretty frequently in our house, I’ll tell you that!
Pictured above, an Aztec Temple with cacao trees in the foreground. The photograph was taken at The Chocolate Museum in Brussels.
Ingredients you’ll need
- 150 grams plain flour
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 90 grams light brown soft sugar
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder or more, to taste!
- 30 grams cocoa powder
- 115 ml water
- 60 grams butter
- 75 ml full fat milk
- 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1/2 tsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste
- 400 grams chocolate fudge frosting
- chilli flakes to decorate
How to make these chocolate chilli cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 190 C/ 170 C fan/ gas mark 5/ 375 F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper baking cases.
- Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and chilli powder together in a large bowl.
- Measure out the cocoa powder, water and butter into a small saucepan and heat gently over a low heat until the butter has melted and the ingredients are combined. Do not allow this to boil!
- Measure out the milk and whisk the egg into it. Add the vanilla.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. The batter will be thin.
- Spoon into the prepared baking cases and bake for 20 minutes until well rise and springy. A wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes will come out clean when done. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost and sprinkle with as many (or as few!) crushed chilli flakes as you’d like.
Feel free to vary the quantity of hot chilli powder in the cake mix itself. I’ve used only 1/4 teaspoon which imparts a gentle heat to the bake, but you could always up it to half a teaspoonful if you’re feeling adventurous.
Alternatively, adjust the quantity of crushed chilli flakes on the top to vary the heat.
A rather delicious weekend bake for these shorter, colder Autumn days, if I do say so myself!
Enjoy!
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Chocolate Chilli Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 150 grams plain flour
- 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 90 grams granulated sugar
- 90 grams light brown soft sugar
- 1/4 tsp chilli powder or more, to taste!
- 30 grams cocoa powder
- 115 ml water
- 60 grams butter
- 75 ml full fat milk
- 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1/2 tsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste
- 400 grams chocolate fudge frosting
- chilli flakes to decorate
Affiliate Links
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Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190 C/ 170 C fan/ gas mark 5/ 375 F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper baking cases.
- Sift 150 grams plain flour, 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 90 grams granulated sugar, 90 grams light brown soft sugar and 1/4 tsp chilli powder together in a large bowl.
- Measure out 30 grams cocoa powder, 115 ml water and 60 grams butter into a small saucepan and heat gently over a low heat until the butter has melted and the ingredients are combined. Do not allow this to boil!
- Measure out 75 ml full fat milk1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar and whisk 1 large free-range egg into it. Add 1/2 tsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla bean paste.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine well. The batter will be thin.
- Spoon into the prepared baking cases and bake for 20 minutes until well rise and springy. A wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes will come out clean when done. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost with 400 grams chocolate fudge frostingand sprinkle with as many (or as few!) crushed chilli flakesas you'd like.
Nutrition
Other chocolate chilli recipes you might like
Chilli Hot Chocolate by The Hedgecombers
Chipolte Chocolate Beany Burritos by The Veg Space
Chocolate & Chilli Cake by Tin & Thyme
Raw Chilli Coconut Chocolate by Planet Veggie
Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Chives
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for sharing this post! I love your chocolate cupcakes recipe and adding chili flakes gives a such a unique taste. I will definitely bake more of these soon 😀
I love chocolate cupcakes but I never tried something spicy. My wife will be doing this next week… Thank you for this, Elizabeth!
I know chocolate and chilli go very well together. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Hi Elizabeth,
I LOVE the flavors of chocolate & chilli.
Need to try one of your cupcake recipes. They look gorgeous!
Amy
Oh yes, hooray for the Aztecs and Mayans. Where would we be without chocolate? Possibly a bit thinner and fitter but not as happy 😉 Your cupcakes look superb and I’m a big chilli chocolate fan. Your kids liking chilli and not black pepper made me laugh. Thanks for sharing these with We Should Cocoa 🙂
What a fiery combination! The cupcakes look gorgeous and would be perfect for warming up an Autumn night.
Forgot to add… thanks you for linking up with #TreatPetite
I have never tried combining chilli and chocolate. However, this combo is quite popular, I even saw such chocolates in my local shop. Your cupcakes look perfect, maybe it’s time for me to overcome that hesitation 🙂
Chocolate and chilli sounds like a great way to get kids to eat chocolate – might give it a go
That icing looks amazing! I love combining spice with chocolate the flavours work brilliantly together.
These look stunning! I always love the chilli chocolate desserts in Wahaca!
These sound FAB. I used to like my chocolate plain and unadulterated, but I’m a recent convert to adding extra flavours. Chocolate and chilli should definitely be my next combination to try 🙂
Ah, kids. One likes this, the other that. Rarely the same thing. You’re lucky that yours like chilli! Beautiful photos as always.
Chilli and chocolate are wonderful together! I’m envious of your piping skills!
A classic combination that is pure magic
Your cakes look wonderful and my kids are like yours with a love of chilli so I know these would go down well here (plus we all love chocolate – of course:-)!
I love chocolate and chilli and these look divine!
I love the chocolate and chilli combination – sweet first hit then the warmth of the spice!! These look amazing!
LOL – “fire in the mouth!” I imagine this will be my child once he can talk, although he’ll be more “YES! MORE FIRE IN THE MOUTH!” because at 17 months, he eats spicier things than most of my adult friends. Your cupcakes are beautiful and I too love the chili-chocolate combination, so I’m adding these to my must make list.
First, I love Belgium and all of the chocolate there! Second, I’m so intrigued by the combination of chili flakes and chocolate. Now, I’m excited to try it!
They look intensely chocolatey and very good indeed. Chocolate and chilli is a magical combination.
Ooh I love chilli & chocolate, these look so good! Gorgeous photography, just want to reach into the screen and grab one! Thanks for linking to my beany burritos!
I’m a massive fan of the chilli+chocolate combo. I feel people who never tried it are missing a lot!
Well – these look ABSOLUTELY amazing. I’ve never tried chocolate and chilli but I’m seriously tempted now.
Xxx
I love the look of this chocolate and chilli cupcakes. Looks yummy.
I sometimes buy a chocolate bar with chili in it and it is such a great flavor combination, this is definitely a recipe worth trying
I am in love with your Chocolate & Chilli Cupcakes, I made brownies last year and they were a huge hit…I bet your recipe would go over so well with my family—and psst your cupcakes look better than my plan old brownies!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe out on them.
This made me laugh!!! I have 1 son who will eat hot curry (but not vanilla!!!!!!) and another who will spend 10 minutes trying to wipe his tongue after ingesting a fleck of pepper
I am in love with these photos!!!!!
They are gorgeous!
Chilli chocolate is one of my favourites! I love the dark chocolate bars that are filled with fondant chocolate and chilli flakes. So good!!!
Gorgeous photos! The Aztecs and the Mayans were definitely on to something … Thanks for sharing 🙂
Great pictures & recipe! It reminds me of the movie Like Water for Chocolate. That is where I originally heard about mixing red chili with chocolate. Love this idea. Thanks.
Love these cupcake photos! I’ve tried a few recipes that combine chocolate and chili. They usually get rave reviews from folks who love the flavor but can’t place the ingredient. Imagine their surprise when I tell them the secret…!
This recipe looks like one I need to put into the rotation!
yummed and stumbled!
Beautiful photos! I love the sprinkling of red chili flakes on top. Such a great combination!