No detail shall be overlooked as I prepare and plan a barbeque for 300 to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The flyers vibrantly let the guests know it's a Mexican themed event that celebrates a good cause, The San Diego Center for Children & The Rose McGill Fund. As always, I want this party to be spectacular, memorable, and show stopping. The pressure is on because I have to create exactly what my sister envisions and make her barbeque go down in history as one of the best Kappa Kappa Gamma events. In order for me to feel like it's a success, the food has to be tasty and the atmosphere fun. The menu features chips and dip, fajitas and quesadillas, and a decadent Mexican inspired cupcake. Cupcakes are a divine dessert for a large fiesta because they are easily transportable, well loved by everyone, and too cute not to be eaten. Since making homemade cupcakes for 300 is an insane idea, I'm jazzing up a chocolate cake from a box with pumpkin and a homemade cinnamon-chocolate cream cheese frosting. Several of my sister's sorority sisters have signed up to make desserts and to keep everything uniform, everyone will be using this recipe. You can find it if you read more


Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
From The Brooklyn Kitchen

1 package (18.25 oz.) dark chocolate cake mix
1 can (15 oz./ 1 ¾ cup) pure pumpkin
3 large eggs
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup chocolate chips
Cinnamon-Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
½ cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (plus more if frosting is too thin)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin/ cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, place cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend on low speed for one minute. Scrape down sides and increase mixer speed to medium, mixing for two more minutes.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips, blending until chips are well distributed.
  4. Scoop batter into prepared pan, filling each cup about ¾ full.
  5. Place pan on middle rack and bake for approximately 12-16 minutes (depending on oven) until tester inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan, resting on a wire rack, for 5 minutes. Pull cupcakes out of pan and cool on wire rack 30 minutes more.
  6. To make frosting: mix cream cheese and butter on low speed in large mixing bowl until well combined, about 1 minute.
  7. Stop mixer and add cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar.
  8. Blend on low speed, until ingredients are moistened, adding more sugar if the frosting seems too thin.
  9. Increase speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy, about two minutes more.
  10. To assemble cupcakes: Frost cupcakes. Dust with cinnamon.

Makes 12-18 cupcakes.

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