CHILI CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Chili Chocolate Cupcakes image

Provided by Food Network

Time 53m

Yield 24 cupcakes

Number Of Ingredients 25

Previous Next

Ingredients

3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
5 tablespoons chocolate instant pudding mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground chile powder
2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup low-fat milk
5 whole eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces sour cream
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Dark Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows
Edible gold dust
Vodka
24 large sugar diamond
120 small sugar diamonds
Edible gold glitter
2 1/2 pounds dark chocolate (recommended: Ghirardelli's)
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 pound butter, cubed

Steps:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, chile powder, cayenne, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract in a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment on first speed. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise. Add the dry ingredients, 1 scoop at a time, allowing each scoop to be incorporated before adding the next. Once all the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop the mixer and scrape down sides and bottom. Turn the mixer up to second speed and mix well. Turn the mixer off. Add the chocolate chips and fold in by hand. Fill the cupcake liners using a 2-ounce scoop. Bake for 15 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cupcake, if it comes out clean they are ready to be removed from the oven. Let cool completely before decorating.
To assemble: Place a star tip #849 in a large piping bag. Fill with Dark Chocolate Ganache and generously frost each cupcake. Mix equal parts gold dust with vodka to make an edible gold paint. Using a small round brush, paint the edges of the ganache with the edible gold paint. Garnish by placing 1 large and 5 small sugar diamonds on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with edible gold glitter.
Make your own double boiler by filling a pot half way with hot water. Let the water come to a boil. Place a metal bowl over the pot, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Put the chocolate in the bowl and stir to melt. When the chocolate is melted completely, remove from the heat. Scald the cream (to 180 degrees F) in a pot over medium heat. Pour the heated cream over the melted chocolate and slowly incorporate; the chocolate will appear glassy. Add the butter, in pieces, to the chocolate. Mix until all the butter has melted. Let set for 1 to 2 hours. The ganache is ready when it is a pipe-able consistency.