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This Mexican chocolate cake is the richest, most moist chocolate cake you’ve ever had, kicked up with cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper! Easy to make as a sheet cake and topped with to-die-for cinnamon buttercream.
I am in grave danger of slipping into hyperbole in my efforts to describe this cake to you. So in an effort to avoid overstating things, I’ll stick to the fundamentals.
There’s chocolate. There’s frosting. There’s sugar — and butter. A pretty generous amount of each, but hey, it’s a sheet cake, so most likely getting divided quite a few ways. Or, uh, maybe just over quite a few days. Anyway, let’s not focus on that.
To recap, the important elements are: chocolate, frosting, and — spices.
Mexican Chocolate Cake
As I’m sure will obvious from reading any further, this is a wholly simplified, American-ized version of a “Mexican chocolate” cake.
Out of curiosity, I recently read a bit about what makes Mexican chocolate special. This research piqued my interest, but unfortunately, if there is any place in Belgium where one can buy authentic Mexican chocolate, this American girl has not found it. And moreover, you’ll be able to knock me over with a feather if I ever do. The Belgians have a lot of confidence in their own chocolate tradition, thankyouverymuch — and rightly so — so I’m not surprised there’s not much importing.
So, when we eventually find ourselves back on the left side of the Atlantic, I look forward to finding and trying some genuine Mexican chocolate. In the meantime, I’ve made do in baked goods by taking plain old unsweetened cocoa powder and adding a little spice myself – mostly cinnamon, a little cayenne. And my taste testers have registered zero complaints.
Bundt vs. Sheet Cake
This cake started with a bundt version I found on I Bake He Shoots, but I personally had a lot of trouble getting the bundt out of the pan intact, despite trying every trick in the book. Eventually I concluded the problem was basically that the cake was too moist to reliably slide out of my pan. (Maybe I need a better bundt pan? Who knows.)
But, given that a too moist cake is not a real problem, I didn’t want to change the cake make-up too much. As a result, I changed the technique, slightly, and form, to a simple 9″x13″ sheet cake. Perhaps less pretty than the bundt cake, but far less subject to unattractive crevasses, at least as easy to serve to a crowd, and most importantly, an invitation to add frosting. 🙂
Obviously you could add any frosting you desire, but I highly encourage you to try this simple cinnamon buttercream. My only regret is that I didn’t make a double batch of it, to squirrel away in a secret place for me to eat with a spoon on tough days.
Use Real Chocolate Sprinkles!
And finally, some chocolate sprinkles on top, because, really, why not?
One of the things I will decidedly miss in the Belgian chocolate department is the ready availability of chocolate sprinkles that are actually chocolate, like those pictured above, not simply “chocolate-flavored.” (Whatever that means!) I might try to pack an entire suitcase full of these guys and bring back my own personal lifetime supply.
Whether you make this for Cinco de Mayo, another Mexican-inspired meal, or just your usual Saturday, I hope it earns rave reviews at your house as it does at mine!
Just look at those sweet little slices. They practically beg you to take a little forkful, don’t they?
Enjoy! ♥
Mexican Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, , at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa and espresso powder, followed by the water and sugar, whisking each addition until smooth. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pepper, and chocolate chips; mix briefly and set aside.
- Return to the butter-chocolate mixture. Add eggs and vanilla, then whisk until they are fully incorporated. Gently stir in the flour mixture using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, then pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, beat butter until smooth using a stand or electric mixer. Add salt and vanilla, then beat again to incorporate.
- Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk, and beat until smooth and fluffy, starting on low speed to blend, then increasing the speed to high. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well-mixed, and adjust the consistency as needed by adding more milk or powdered sugar. Finally, beat in the cinnamon.
- Frost and garnish cake as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I make this cake into a round 3 layer cake and cover with fondant, thanking you in advance.
Alice
I followed this recipe using a 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper. I baked this cake in a half sheet pan. It baked at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. I should have doubled the frosting recipe to allow for the size cake but I did have enough to cover the whole cake. I shaved/grated chocolate and decorated the top of the cake. It looked pretty and tasted great! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Made this for a potluck at work and had cupcakes as extras. It was a huge hit!
I made this cake for my daughter’s first birthday, since it was Cinco de Mayo themed and she was not actually eating the cake so I could make it whatever I wanted, heh. I used the cinnamon icing as the filling between two 8″ round cakes (recipe as written was the right amount for this), but frosted the outside with plain buttercream for decorating purposes. It was SO GOOD. I am hoping to try it again this weekend for a friend’s birthday and here are the changes I plan to make.
1) I went on the light side of the cayenne (1/4 tsp) and it was very subtle, I think I’ll go for the full 1/2 tsp this time!
2) The cinnamon flavor paired so well, I am definitely going to use it on the top and sides this time around.
3) The reason this is a sheet cake makes sense. It did work as a layer cake, just stuck to the top of the pan, despite that I greased and floured and used bake-even strips. Not bad enough to ruin it, but it did require a little faking it with the icing. I think it’s still worth trying again but I’m going to use parchment rounds this time too.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Charity – this makes my day! I’m thrilled that you loved the cake and really appreciate your taking the time to leave this helpful review for others. Take care and happy birthday to your little lady! xo!
Question???
To make cupcakes with this recipe what is the difference in cook time and oven temperature? If any.
I would bake them at the same temperature (325) and start checking for doneness around 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Oh my gosh! I just made this cake the other day and everyone LOVED LOVED LOVED it! I actually made mine in 2 round pans and lined them with parchment paper….it was amazing! It was so moist! I will be playing around with the icing though. It had a wonderful flavor but WAY too sweet for me. I’m not usually a fan of buttercream so I’m sure it’s not your recipe’s fault. I took pics to share but can’t figure out how to share them. Oh and if you decide to make the round pans like I did, make sure you double the recipe and don’t forget to crumb coat it before icing it. It’s so moist that pieces of cake will show in your icing if you don’t.
Hi Angela, I totally understand, the frosting that one person loves, will be too sweet for another! My hubby and I actually have different opinions on frosting, as well, so we are a house divided! Great tips about the round pans – thank you for leaving this kind and helpful review!
Hi, I just came across your dessert on Pinterest, it sounds delicious and would make the perfect dessert for my Cinco De Mayo dinner, today!! I have everything to make it, except the espresso powder, do you think the cake would still taste okay without it?
Hi Christy, yes, I’m sure it would still taste amazing! I hope you try it!
I baked this recipe as cupcakes for our Cinco de Mayo party this weekend. My kitchen smells heavenly! I had no idea how beautifully espresso powder will bring out the flavor of chocolate…and the cinnamon, I mean omg yum! The only thing I changed was adding a bit less cayenne, I used 1/8 tsp. Can’t wait for my guests to try them…that’s if there are any left 🤣🤣🤣
Hi! I tried this recipe this weekend and it was delicious – thank you for sharing!! Do you think I can use it to make cupcakes?
Oooh that is a really delicious sounding idea. I suspect it would work for cupcakes, my only concern is that they might stick to the liners a bit, but that seems relatively minor. If you try it as cupcakes, PLEASE let me know how it works! I might give it a try myself this weekend – it sounds amazing!
This looks great! Do you think I could halve the recipe and bake it in a 9×9 glass baking dish?
Hi Lauren, thanks! Yes, I think that would work really well!