Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache

It's true. I quite literally turn up my nose at Red Velvet cake. I mean, really, who does that cake think it is? Kinda chocolate? Electric red? Let's be honest with ourselves here. Beyond looks, your typical Red Velvet Cake isn't a strong competitor. Plus it's usually coated with thick cream cheese frosting, which I adamantly despise.

Enter Red Hot Velvet. Now this cake's got it going on.

Imagine a moist and tender chocolate cake speckled with spices and crushed red hots. Seriously. Look at that beautiful texture! And then to finish things off, these little babies are topped with a thick pillow of Whipped Ganache Frosting. Oh. My. Goodness. Somebody get the rest of those cupcakes out of my kitchen asap.

So in honor of Cinco de Mayo and my (slightly) Mexican heritage, let's bring on the heat!

Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes with Whipped Ganache [click to print]
Makes about 12 cupcakes


For the Cake

• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. sour milk
• 1/2 c. warm water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c. red hot candies, crushed

For the Whipped Ganache

• 1-1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 c. heavy cream
• 2-3 T. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare muffin tin with liners or coat generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, soda, salt, pepper and chili powder. Add butter, milk, water, vanilla and egg. Mix just until no butter chunks remain. Stir in red hots. Scoop batter into cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched.

While cooling, prepare ganache. Put chocolate chips in small, deep bowl and set aside. Heat 1/3 c. cream in small saucepan until just simmering. Immediately pour over chocolate chips and allow to sit for one minute. Stir until mixture is smooth and allow to cool until just firm. Whip with a handheld mixer until fluffy, adding an additional 2-3 T. cream until reaching the desired consistency. This stuff will firm up nicely so frost your cupcakes immediately. Devour.

Source: Cupcake recipe adapted from Oh SO Delicioso

Spiced and Sugared Walnuts (Crockpot or Otherwise)

I always thought that toasted and sugared nuts were something street vendors sold in the olden days, until one day. I was walking through the mall with one of my roomies, just doing some Christmas shopping, and she said, "I wish we could get some toasted nuts" and I just chuckled "Yeah" and she said "No, really. Don't you always get nuts from those little booth guys in the mall during the holidays?" and I said "What? I didn't think that was real." And another false belief was destroyed.

We never did find our toasted nuts. I've tried making them before, but I often forget things under the broiler and bad, smokey things happen when you do that. Here's a forgetful-friendly recipe for crockpot spiced and sugared walnuts, but you can do them in the oven, too, if you promise not to forget about those darling walnuts.

Spiced and Sugared Walnuts (Crockpot or Otherwise)   [click to print]
2 c. walnuts
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat crockpot about 15 minutes on high. Combine walnuts, sugar, butter and vanilla in crockpot. Stir until sugar is completely moistened and nuts are evenly coated. Cover and cook on high 15 minutes. Stir. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 hours, stirring each hour. Spread nuts on wax paper. Whisk together spices and sift over nuts. Allow to cool to room temperature and enjoy!

Source: Adapted from About.com's Southern Food