So I’ve been pretty quiet up in here on the political scene, and that’s not without cause. (Disclaimer: When I speak up on something, I want to be 100% sure I know what the heck I’m talking about and 100% sure that I support it.)

In the past few weeks, though, it’s painfully obvious how torn, broken, and messed up our country is, and it’s been impossible to ignore or look past the obvious signs of this. Via the insta (my social media outlet of choice) and other sites, I’ve watched the women’s marches, a local protest crying out for the rights of refugees, some of the most brilliant protest signs and slogans, and also SO MUCH STRESS/OUTRAGE/PROTEST baking. Wait, what?
*Confession* I have yet to make an appearance at a protest. *Cringe*
BUT— this “baking to show solidarity with a political issue” is something I can for sure get behind. Some people as of late have chosen to showcase pretty pictures with political captions and messages attached. But if you know me, if there’s an opportunity to bake my way into/about/for something, I’m there. And an Instagram post will be, too.
Enter these #nobannowall cupcakes: a chocolatey and spicy cupcake base topped with cinnamon buttercream or dulce de leche cream cheese frosting. *You get to pick!!!* (Or you can be all about that #treatyoself life and go for both!) I first discovered dulce de leche a few years ago, and I love this stuff! I don’t buy it a whole lot, but when I do, it’s time to go all out because it’s AMAZING.
Here’s option 1: topped with dulce de leche frosting!

And option 2: cinnamon buttercreamed!

It’d be wrong for me to preach for you on what to do and how to get involved, but one big thing that feels SO insignificant but I know works is prayer. The Lord has helped me be faithful this year in being consistent with my prayer life. Usually I rotate in names of friends that I know I can follow up with, but this year, bigger prayers have begun to enter into my time with God. I’ll leave you with one of them (from Sunday January 29, 2017):
“LORD, this week’s been pretty nutty in our country: refugee ban on specific Muslim majority countries, the women’s marches, a billion other protests, and all of this crap about the wall on the border. Lord God, I know You can use and work in spite of evil, ignorant, and oppressive rulers, and I know You can use the leaders themselves or use the awfulness of the leader to move your people to action. So Lord, I don’t know what Your ultimate plan is here (and I pray that it involves Trump’s presidency not lasting all 4 years), but Lord, be glorified. Bring justice and peace to areas of inequality. Provide resources for the underprivileged and needy. Let Your people welcome “the stranger” even if our president tries to keep our country from doing that, and Lord, help me know how to act and conduct myself in ways beyond shaking my head, complaining, and crying. Those are passive, cowardly ways of dealing with injustice and problems, and please help me leave them behind.”

Here’s to action, to justice, and to and making Mexico-inspired cupcakes 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽!

Don’t forget the sprinkles!
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#NoBanNoWall Cupcakes

Created by Jenny Barrett on February 5, 2017

Mexican chocolate cupcakes with either cinnamon or dulce de leche frosting. Perfect for expressing your political affiliations in a delicious way!

• Prep Time:30m
• Cook Time:15m
• Total Time:45m

• Yield: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Hershey\'s Special Dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup vanilla coffee creamer or heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste

Dulce De Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup dulce de leche
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with 16 cupcake wrappers.
3. In a large bowl, whisk sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together until fully combined. (If I skip this step with chocolate cakes, I end up having little white and brown clumps of flour and cocoa powder in my cake.)
5. Thoroughly whisk the dry ingredients and the butter milk into the wet ingredients, stirring until smooth.
6. Fill each well in the cupcake pan with a scant 1/4 cup of cupcake batter.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until a fork inserted comes out almost clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting;

1. Beat the butter on high in a mixer until smooth and creamy, about 1-1.5 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and begin to beat on low.
3. Gradually add the heavy cream or creamer to help the ingredients combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that everything is incorporated.
4. Once your batter is smooth, whip on high for 1.5-2 minutes until fluffy. Frost or pipe onto cupcakes.

Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Beat butter and cream cheese on medium high speed until smooth, about 1-1.5 minutes.
2. Add in dulce de leche and beat on medium high until smooth, about 45-60 seconds. You will need to scrape down the sides to ensure that everything is mixed smoothly.
3. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat slowly until everything is incorporated. Then beat on high for 30-60 seconds, adding additional powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Frost or pipe onto cupcakes

Notes

1. For a more prominent level of spice and 'bite' in your cupcakes, add 1/4-1/2 teaspoons more of chili powder to the batter.
2. You can choose to make one kind of frosting or both for these cupcakes! If you make both kinds, you will have extra! I also added sprinkles on top for a fun touch!

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction

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