These Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Spicy Cream Cheese Frosting are hands-down the most requested dessert I’ve ever made! Moist, rich chocolate cake with a subtle kick of chili heat, topped with silky spiced frosting—they’re the star of every Cinco de Mayo party, chili cook-off, or potluck.
Every year at our friend’s epic chili cook-off, I bake a few batches of these cupcakes, and they vanish in minutes. Even our friend Earl—who swears he doesn’t have a sweet tooth—can’t resist grabbing two (okay, maybe three) before the plates are empty. Around here, we’ve started calling them “Earl-Cakes” in his honor!
If you’re not much of a cake decorator (trust me, neither am I!), don’t worry—a simple frosting gun makes perfect swirls with zero fuss. Bonus? It works great for filling donuts and cupcakes too.
Whether you’re celebrating Cinco de Mayo, hosting a fiesta, or just want a dessert that’ll make everyone say “whoa, what’s in these?!”—these cupcakes deliver bold flavor with every bite.
Let me show you exactly how to make them…
Every year friends of ours hold a Chili cook-off and we whip up a batch or two of these cupcakes, people rave about them! In fact, we often refer to them as Earl-Cakes, after our buddy Earl who’s not usually much of a dessert kind of guy… until he sees a plate of these sitting on the table.
If you’re not much of a cake decorator ( I can assure you, I’m not!) you can use this simple frosting gun to apply the frosting in pretty swirls. It’s also great for filling cupcakes or donuts too.
How to Make Cinco de Mayo Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Chili Cream Cheese Frosting
You’ll Need:
1 box Devil’s food chocolate cake mix (& ingredients to prepare the cake as directed on the box)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Frosting:
1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract, or to taste
24 small dried red chiles (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the dry cake mix, 1 1/2 teaspoon of ancho chile pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Mix with an electric mixer or whisk to incorporate the spices evenly throughout and remove any potential lumps.
- Add the water, vegetable oil, and eggs (in the amounts listed on the box); mix until combined then beat for 2 minutes.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups, filling them 2/3 full.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
- Remove and cool completely before frosting.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of ground ancho chile, 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon with the confectioners’ sugar. Mix with an electric mixer or whisk to incorporate the spices evenly throughout and remove any potential lumps.
- In a bowl, combine cream cheese and butter, beating with an electric mixer on medium speed until blended.
- Next, add the spiced confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, mixing well between additions until all the sugar is fully incorporated and the frosting is smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in attractive swirls, and poke a small dried chile, stem-side up, into the frosting as a garnish, if desired.
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Cinco de Mayo Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Spicy Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Electric mixer or whisk
- 24-cup muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 1 box Devil’s food chocolate cake mix
- Ingredients listed on cake box (eggs, oil, water)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- ½ teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 24 small dried red chiles (optional garnish)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, 1 1/2 tsp ancho chile pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Stir well to incorporate spices evenly.1 box Devil’s food chocolate cake mix1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add water, oil, and eggs as directed on cake box. Mix until combined, then beat for 2 minutes.Ingredients listed on cake box
- Spoon batter into prepared cupcake cups, filling 2/3 full.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 tsp ancho chile, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and confectioners’ sugar. Stir or whisk to evenly distribute spices.1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- In another bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth.8 oz cream cheese, softened1/2 cup butter
- Gradually add spiced sugar mixture, mixing well between additions until fully incorporated and frosting is smooth.
- Mix in vanilla extract.1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes in swirls.
- Optional: Garnish each cupcake with a dried red chile, stem-side up.24 small dried red chiles
Equipment
Notes
Tip: Adjust spice level by reducing cayenne if you prefer a milder heat.
Serving Idea: Pair with Mexican hot chocolate or horchata for a festive Cinco de Mayo treat.
Storage: Store frosted cupcakes in refrigerator; bring to room temp before serving.
Bonus Tip: Try substituting smoked paprika for a smoky twist instead of cayenne.
If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
These are FIRE! 🔥🔥 The chili gives it just enough kick to surprise people—in a good way! Perfect for parties. I topped mine with a sprinkle of cayenne and a chocolate curl. 🔥