This recipe is a mix of a few and I wanted to make something a little different with the cinnamon as part of the Master Baker’s challenge.
This is the first challenge I’ve entered being blissfully unaware of these food blogging events. I wanted to do something a little spicey (chili), a little aromatic (cinnamon) and a little rich (chocolate mud).
I received this Dagoba Chili Cinnamon organic hot chocolate mix for my kitchen tea as part of a large chocolate basket from my friends Gina and Teena from Peters of Kensington. The chili and cinnamon chocolate ganache gives it that little bit extra. If an overload of chili and cinnamon is not to your taste, you could always just add the chili and cinnamon mix to the ganache and have a regular cupcake on the outside or you could always reverse it and have the chili and cinnamon in the cupcake and leave the topping as a regular gooey chocolate ganache. As it is, the quantities that I’ve stated are for those who like a little tingle of chili but an all-enveloping hug of cinnamon. If you don’t have access to Dagoba chocolate powder I would suggest a home made version with a ratio of perhaps: 2 tablespoons chocolate powder (not cocoa) to 1/4 or 1/8 teaspoon chili powder and to 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or play around with that ratio to your taste. It also depends on how hot your chili powder is.
The decoration is not hand made (I am not that dextrous) but rather some individually wrapped Sasha chocolates bought for me by my sister from Tokyo. Please don’t be scared off by the combination of flavours, my husband declared these his favourite cupcakes ever as did A&D whom we brought a fresh batch to that evening. Make no mistake, the chewy dense chocolate mud cake is gorgeous and a must bake.
Cinnamon, chili and chocolate mud cake
- 165g butter
- 100g dark eating chocolate chopped coarsely
- 1 1/3 cups (290g) caster sugar
- 2/3 cup (170ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) coffee liquer (optional)
- 8-12 tablespoons Dagoba chili and cinnamon powder (depending on how hot you like your cupcakes)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (150g) plain flour
- 2 tablespoons Self raising flour
- 1 egg
Chili, cinnamon and chocolate ganache
- 300g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cream
- 4-6 tablespoons of Dagoba chili and cinnamon powder depending on how hot you like it
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon extra
1. Preheat oven to moderate 170C degrees/150C fan forced. Line 6 hole texas or 12 hole standard muffin pan with paper cases
2. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, the water, liquer and powder in small saucepan, stir over low heat until smooth
3. Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool 15 minutes. Whisk in sifted flours, then egg (at this stage it will look like liquidey dark chocolate ganache). Divide mixture among cases.
4. Bake large cakes for about 1 hour, small cakes about 40 minutes. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then turn cakes onto wire rack to cool.
For Chocolate, chili and cinnamon ganache
Combine chocolate and cream in a small heatproof bowl; stir with metal spoon over pan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Stir in chocolate powder and cinnamon. Cool in fridge until it reaches a piping consistency and pipe over cupcakes.
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14 Comments | Add your own
Are you KIDDING me?! Not Quite Nigella is actually QUITE Nigella. These are stunning and I’d bet $100 they’re taste even better.
Ok wow, these sound amazing. I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks for the entry!
Hi Francie-Aww thanks so much. What a lovely compliment
Hi Nikki-Thanks so much and thanks for organising such a great challenge! Can’t wait to see what you think of them
Great recipe for the Master Baker! I have to get off my bum and do my entry!
Hi NQN, those cupcakes look very expertly done! Once when I tried to pipe with ganache, I simply couldn’t get it the right temperature: it is either too soft, or too hard. I found it most frustrating (not to mention messy) to work with. Do you ever have this problem?
Hi there. This recipe sounds great. I linked to it on my own blog for my Saturday feature of a movie and a cupcake. Can’t wait to try it.
I want to eat my laptop! The cupcakes look amazing! My girls and I love to bake, I’m anxious to try the recipes! Your food looks quite professional!
Hi Minko-Thankyou so much! Good luck with yours! Can’t wait to see it
Hi Lori-I often have problems with icing being too runny (my Paula Deen sour cream cake is an example
) but I’ve found that using that ratio of cream to chocolate and putting it in the fridge for say 15-20 minutes and watching it makes it just right for piping. I think it needs quite a bit of chocolate for it to be piping consistency, not the 50/50 mix that some recipes have which is good for spreading but not for piping 
Hi Kimberly Ann-Thanks so much for the link!
I love your role model combination, its very cool and multi faceted! 
Hi Nanci-Why thankyou so much
Definitely give it a go and please let me know what you thought of it. If you and your girls love chocolate mud I think you’ll like this!
hey
this is my first time here.. i was searching for nigellas recipe of chocolate cupcakes.. when u came across ure blog. ure cupcakes look so tempting!
great work. i think i would like to try something simpler though. after experimenting a few times i will definitely try this!
once again great work
WOW, you are Quite the Aussie version of Nigella! These are gorgeous..congrats on your fantastic site…(as well as our shared Nigella fetish!! hahaha)
Hi teen-Why that’s the best compliment ever!
Thankyou so much-one can’t help but adore the original Domestic Godddess can one 
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