Cupcake Fiesta

Since my new husband and I went on a wonderful cruise to the Caribbean I felt like I had to do a cupcake or two inspired by our tropical vacation.  Before getting back on our ship in Cozumel, I bought the cutest bottle of Mexican vanilla in the world- it has its own little knit poncho.  So I decided to try out a Mexican Chocolate cupcake.  It's a little spicy, a little sweet, and very indulgent.

Here she is on her own little pedestal, my Mexican Chocolate senorita.  The cake is made with a lot of my new vanilla from Cozumel, and it's spiced with cinnamon and just a dash of red pepper to give it some south of the border heat.  But in my opinion the best part of this one is the frosting.  It's a variation on my beloved chocolate buttercream.  But I upped the vanilla (again, from my adorable poncho bottle) and I added just enough cinnamon to make it, well, addicting.  I think everyone who tried these kept swiping more frosting to lick away.  It's creamy and rich, and just a tad spicy.  And, although it didn't show up that well in the photos, I topped them with a sprinkling of edible glitter to give them a coppery shimmer, making them ready for the fiesta.  Viva cupcakes!