Written By Mama

March has 2 special “holidays” this year. First coming up is St. Patrick’s Day – Green Day. The other, which is coming pretty early, is Easter (March 31st if you didn’t know). Anyways, because March is the month of green, I am joining in with some other awesome bloggers to take on the Food Blogger Challenge. This month, I have to make GREEN FOOD. The first recipe I’m doing is a Chocolate Mint Surprise Cupcake. The cupcakes aren’t green in color, but mint is green, so I’m totally claiming it as a green food. Anyways, I’ll stop rambling so you can start baking. 

Chocolate Mint Surprise Cupcakes

2013-02-24 12:59:06

Serves 30

Mint Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with a Minty Center topped with a Homemade Mint Buttercream

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

For The Cake

1-2/3 cups flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/2 unsweetened dark cocoa powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted then slightly cooled

1-1/4 cups buttermilk* at room temp

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

60 chocolate-covered mini mint candies (Junior Mints)**

Fresh mint leaves *optional*

For The Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened

3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

For The Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line 30 cupcake cups with with foil or paper liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl; mix well

3. Pour butter into medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk, eggs and mint extract; mix well. Add liquid mixture to flour mixture. Beat medium-high with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cupcake tins - 1/2 full.

4. Place 1 piece of candy in center of each cupcake and gently push down, using a toothpick. Save remaining 30 candy pieces.

5. Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted near edge of cupcake comes out clean. Don't insert toothpick in center of cupcake, the mint candy will stick to your toothpick. Cool for 5 minutes in tin, then remove and cool entirely on wire rack.

6. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Top with 1 mint candy per cupcake and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

For Frosting

1. Beat butter for a couple minutes on high using stand mixer and paddle attachment. Add 1-1/2 cups of confectioners sugar while mixer is on lowest speed (so sugar doesn't get thrown everywhere) until sugar and butter is completely mixed together. Increase mixer speed to medium and add mint extract, salt and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream; beat for 3 minutes.

If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency add 1/4 a cup of confectioners sugar at a time until your have hit your desired consistency. If you need it more thinned out, add 1 tablespoon of milk or cream at a time until you have reached desired consistency.

Tips

*If you don't have buttermilk you can substitute 3-1/2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to equal 1-1/4 cups. Let stand for 5 minutes.

**You can use Andes Mints instead of Junior Mints. Simply cut the mint in half before inserting it into the cupcake batter. Garnish with a whole Andes Mint, and mint leaves if desired.

I used 2 different types of frosting for this batch - not everyone in my house enjoys super minty stuff. So I used a jar of white frosting, melted, scooped into a zip baggy, then piped onto the cupcakes.

By Angela @ Written By Mama

Written By Mama http://www.writtenbymama.com/

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by Recipe Card

As always, if you bake these, feel free to post them on my Facebook Wall or Tweet Me! I love to see what you’re baking

Check out these awesome Green Recipes being shared by the other 5 awesome bloggers, this month.

2 Responses to “Recipe: Chocolate Mint Surprise Cupcakes”