Mexican Hot Chocolate Frosting

This frosting was originally recommended to go with chocolate cupcakes filled with peanut butter cups (at least on the Food Network website, where I found it).  I didn't have any peanut butter cups, and was running low on chocolate (shocking, I know - don't worry, I'm all stocked back up). So, I made plain old vanilla cupcakes and tossed in some chocolate chips. It was really the frosting I wanted to try - Mexican Hot Chocolate Frosting.  I've always been taken with the idea of chocolate & chili, but haven't had the courage to try it. So when my friend Rachel (who enjoys spicy food and lived in California for a while) came over for dinner the other night, I figured this was the perfect time to try out the frosting. It's not exactly spicy, but it is very flavorful. I think it would be better on rich, chocolate cupcakes instead of vanilla, but it was still good. Just fair warning - this recipe makes a lot. I intended it for 12 cupcakes, and have a bunch left over in the fridge that needs to be used up. Anyway, enough talking, here's the recipe:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

Using a hand-held mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter together thoroughly. Add chili powder & cinnamon, mix. Add salt, vanilla, & confectioner's sugar; mix. Add melted chocolate and mix until thoroughly blended and smooth. If the mixture needs thickening, add more confectioner's sugar until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

I topped mine off a Cinnamon Imperial just for fun. This is definitely a good twist on the typical chocolate frosting, but if you're a die-hard, strict chocoholic I would recommend sticking with a more traditional recipe. If you're a bit more adventurous, then enjoy!