Spicy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Ancho Chili Ganache and Fudge Frosting

For someone who isn't into baking it seems I've been baking a lot. That's got to stop soon with less than 30 days until we leave for Mexico indulgent baked goods have to come off the menu.

But we are celebrating G's 42nd birthday this weekend and my honey loves dark chocolate and even better he loves spicy dark chocolate. So thinking along the lines of a dark chocolate bar with hints of ancho chilies I decided to bake chocolate cupcakes with Ancho Chili spice.

I researched a bit and ended up putting together a cupcake that combines 3 different cupcake components. First the cupcake from Abby Dodge's blog Quick Chocolate Cupcakes made in the blender of all things. Then the ganache from My German Kitchen in the Rockies blog. And finally the fudgy frosting from our host of the Gutsy Cooks Club Monica of Sweet Bites.

First I started with that Spicy Dark Chocolate Cupcake.

To Abby Dodge's recipe (linked here) I added 2 Tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder and

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon.

I mixed together the dry ingredients.

And then dumped them into the mixer, yes, different but boy it did make it all go quick.

Next I added the dry ingredients, gave them a whirl or two and poured them into the pre-lined cupcake pan.

While the cupcakes baked I made the Ancho Chili Chocolate Ganache.(Recipe linked here) This part excited me. How could it not be yummy with bittersweet chocolate, Nutella and ancho chili powder. YUM!

When the cupcakes were done I let them cool

and then carved out small craters from the top of each cupcake by carefully cutting a circle with serrated knife and then scooping with a teaspoon. Pretty simple.

After the ganache had cooled I spooned the ganache into the cupcake craters and let them set awhile.

While the ganache set inside the cupcakes I dipped some arbol chilies in melted dark chocolate for a garnish only. Not intended to be eaten.Serious WARNING here! Do not eat them...look only.

Finally I made the Fudge Frosting which I found from Monica (recipe link here) and she describes it as a Brazilian recipe called Brigadeiros. I just called it delicious and fudgy.

It came together pretty easy as well, although about 15 minutes of stirring over the stove I thought my arm was going to fall off.

Monica's looks much more smooth than mine. I'm guessing although I had my stove on the lowest setting I could put it on it might have been too hot (?).

Finally it was time to frost the cupcakes with this luscious looking and tasting frosting.

They were quite fantastic if I must say myself, along with G and our friends that we shared them with.

We enjoyed them with friends sitting at a waterside table on Lake Union at Joey's restaurant with a fantastic glass of wine after having had an early dinner at one of G's favorite restaurants Cactus at the South Lake Union location. (Yeah, we told the Joey's waiter that G had food allergies so we had to make our own dessert and since we were buying spendy wine they didn't have a problem giving us plates and napkins to eat our homemade cupcakes while in the restaurant.)

The best part of the cupcake was the wonderful ganache so thick and gooey with just a hint of ancho spice. The cupcake itself was also very moist the ancho chili and cinnamon were just back notes to the dark chocolate. And the fudgy frosting...so good.

G was happy and we celebrated his bday with a few of his favorites!

Recipe links again found here:

Spicy Dark Chocolate Cupcakes: Link

Ancho  Chile Chocolate Granache: Link

Fudge Frosting: LInk