A Sweet and Spicy Recipe: Cupcakes with a Texas Kick

One of the best parts about living in Texas is the heat. 

Not the weather kind of heat, but the peppery, culinary kind: cheeseburgers are served with jalapeño, beers are offered as micheladas, and hot sauce rests on most every cafe table.  

Great desserts are rarely spicy, however, even in Texas. But believe it or not, they can be. 

Our friends at Bravado Spice Co. shared this simple recipe for making delicious pineapple habanero cupcakes. We made these cupcakes ourselves while field-testing the various uses for Bravado Spice’s Pineapple & Habanero hot sauce, and we were amazed by the outcome: an irresistible combination of sweet and heat. 

Like anything flavored with habanero pepper, the spiciness takes a moment or two to take effect: at first you taste the pineapple and the sugar; seconds later, the flavor is characterized by something you’ve likely never encountered in a cupcake: a kick. 

Whether you’re in Texas or elsewhere, you can easily make your own. Here’s how. 

You’ll need: 

• Pineapple cake mix, one (1) box.
• Bravado Spice Pineapple & Habanero Hot Sauce, six (6) tbsp
• White frosting, one (1) 16oz container

Bake your little heart out:

1. Using the directions on the box, prepare the cake mix as cupcakes, with the following change: replace approximately 1/2 the oil (typically about 3 tbsp) with Bravado Spice Pineapple & Habanero Sauce.
   
   
2. While the cupcakes are baking, mix the white frosting with the remainder (about 3 tbsp) of the Pineapple & Habanero sauce. Don’t add the sauce all at once; add it in slowly and taste. The frosting is a little thin, so you can either: 1) chill it for 20 minutes; or 2) try adding some pecans blended with brown sugar to add both thickness and extra Texas-y flavor. 
   
   
3. Last: Remove the cupcakes from the oven, say “Howdy, welcome to the world,” and apply the frosting. For some fun decoration, sprinkle a few dried pineapple chunks on top. 

- N4SJ