Reviewed: May 4, 2013

These were ok, nothing special. If you didn't know what was in them when you tried them, I'm not sure you would think they were anything but chocolate cupcakes. My box of cake mix was 15 oz, so I reduced the water to 1 cup but kept the other items to the amounts written in the recipe, including the spices. The heat was very subtle, barely noticeable. Everyone at our work party tried them out of curiosity, but they weren't a hit. I did like the addition of cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting, and that flavor paired well with the chocolate cupcake.

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Reviewer:

Loves2Cook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Living In: Strongsville, Ohio, USA

Reviewed: Mar. 6, 2013

Absolutely fantastic - the best cupcakes I have ever made and I have made a lot of cupcakes! Moist and light and the slight kick of heat, felt like I bought them from a gourmet cupcake bakery! Definitely a recipe I will make again and again. Made recipe to the letter, just doubled ancho and cayenne spices for a little extra kick. Thanks so much for this recipe - SIMPLY AWESOME!!

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Reviewer:

Pamela

Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2013

Just made these this morning for a small gathering. I wanted to try something new and different for my guests. Very delicious. The sweet balances the heat perfectly. As another reviewer said; I didn't need all the frosting. I used about 2/3 of what the recipe yielded. Will make again.

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Reviewer:

katieb82

Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2012

I tried this last night & these are fantastic! Just the right amount of kick. Even my 9 year old loved them! The cream cheese frosting is a good compliment to the heat of the chocolate.

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Reviewer:

mpatternmaker

Reviewed: Nov. 11, 2012

These cupcakes were good, just not great and my opinion is it's because of the box mix rather than from scratch. I couldn't find ancho chili pepper, but a friend brought me dried pasilla chilis, which I ground myself. The cupcakes could use a little more heat, so don't be afraid to bump up the peppers if you like spicy. I will make them again from scratch. I think a dark chocolate cocoa would be great.

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Reviewer:

QHHUNTERS

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Palm Bay, Florida, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 6, 2012

I was disappointed after reading all the reviews, with how lame these were. I followed the recipe and they tasted fine - but I didn't tell anyone what they were and everyone guessed they were plain chocolate cupcakes. Certainly not enough 'kick' and the frosting was not that appealing.

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Reviewer:

Somertyme08

Reviewed: Sep. 17, 2012

This is my recipe and I was requested to make 50 for an event in Eugene. I amped up the Ancho and Cayenne ground pepper per request to two teaspoons Ancho and 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne in the CC batter. Actually, I thought it tasted good and was still not too hot for this wimp. That's why I like this recipe. Make it as you like... less pepper powder or more. Of course I made some for hubby too! He liked the spicer version too.

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Reviewer:

Candice

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Albany, Oregon, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 5, 2012

Keep these for just a few hours before eating them---if you can! I think the flavors set much better when you give them a little time. These were just delicious! I used a Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge box mix (and I hardly ever use box mixes!), and made 52 mini cupcakes, baking them at 350 for 14 minutes. Everything else was done just as the well-written recipe stated. I took them to a school for the teachers' first day back, and they were a total success! I can't believe I waited so long to make these cupcakes! Thanks, Candice!

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Reviewer:

Marianne

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Sep. 5, 2012

Delish!! If you like spice in your life, you'll love these! I added additional ancho chile and cayenne pepper for the spicy lovin' folks. Well worth the time it takes to make these ;)

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