Kicked in the Pumpkin

Since I enjoy baking cupcakes so much, I decided that it was time to spread my wings and try something new. To give me a little push, I joined IRON CUPCAKE: EARTH, a global cupcake competition. This month, we had to invent a cupcake using chili pepper - not one of my favorite cupcake ingredients, but the idea is to be creative! My entry is a pumpkin spice cupcake topped with a mixture of white chocolate, coconut and sliced almonds. The recipe can be found below.

The Etsy artist providing the prize for this competition is Jesse Steele. And if you want to find out what Iron Cupcake is all about, visit No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner.

Cupcake Recipe:

1 16 oz. box Dassant Pumpkin Spice Bread and Muffin Mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile

Topping

2/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 tablespoon sliced almonds

Set oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake tins with 15 liners (you may get fewer cupcakes).

Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until they beg for forgiveness. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks, oil, water, pumpkin and chile. Fold the wet mixture into the egg whites. Stir in the boxed mix.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes. Let cool.

While your cupcakes are cooling, put the white chocolate pieces in a glass bowl and put in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Mix until smooth. Add in the almonds and coconut. Stir. Let cool.

Spoon a teaspoon of topping onto each cupcake when they are cool (but before the chocolate topping has time to harden).