Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes
 
Makes 12
Ingredients
  • CUPCAKES
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise, room temperature
  • ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • FROSTING
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2⅔ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk, divided
  • 1 (4-ounce) sweet chocolate
  • (48% cacao), chopped, melted, and slightly cooled*
  • Garnish: chopped spiced pecans*, ground red pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. For cupcakes: In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, allspice, and red pepper. Gradually add flour mixture to mayonnaise mixture, stirring until well combined. Spoon about ¼ cup batter into each well of prepared pan.
  3. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan.
  4. For frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and salt with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add half of confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons milk, beating until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining half of confectioners’ sugar and remaining 1 tablespoon milk, beating until smooth and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, and beat until well combined and very fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a large open star tip. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes as desired. Garnish with pecans and red pepper, if desired.
Notes
*We used Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate (48% Cacao) and Trader Joe’s Sweet & Spicy Pecans.

KITCHEN TIP
Replacing eggs with mayonnaise in the batter—an old Southern trick—creates an airy yet moist texture. Use room temperature milk and mayonnaise for a fluffy final product.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/spicy-chocolate-cupcakes/