TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MINT CUPCAKES WITH ANDES MINTS

Chocolate and mint are one of my favorite flavor combinations. I grew up on Tillamook Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and still can’t get enough of it!  Peppermint patties, Andes Mints, Mint Brownies… you name it! One of my very first viral recipes here on Your Cup of Cake was my Andes Mint Cupcakes! So I decided to throw it back and create another Chocolate Mint Cupcake, this time with Mint Chocolate Buttercream!  These Triple Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are topped with fresh mint and classic Andes Mints as a throwback to my original recipe.  Enjoy!

People always ask me how to get perfect buttercream! They get lumps, it’s too sweet, it’s too stiff, it’s too thin, it’s just not right! Well Lizzy to the rescue! First of all, start off with butter! The butter needs to be soft but not melted!  Room temperature butter is usually ideal.  Pop that in your mixer and beat it, this will keep the lumps away.  Then, start adding your powdered sugar (and unsweetened cocoa if it’s chocolate buttercream).  The amount of powdered sugar you add will vary.  In the winter my house is cold and I don’t need to add as much because my butter it’s as soft.  But in the summer I need extra powdered sugar because it’s hot! It needs that extra stiffness to hold up! If I’m taking my cupcakes outside for a wedding… more powdered sugar to stand up to that heat!  So I always add my powdered sugar in a little at a time until the consistency is right for whatever dessert I’m making it for.

Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE:

• 1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
• 1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs at room temp
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. brown sugar packed
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1 C. buttermilk or milk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. peppermint extract

CHOCOLATE MINT BUTTERCREAM:

• 1 C. butter softened
• 2-3 C. powdered sugar
• 1/2 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
ANDES MINTS
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners, I used green liners because I wanted them to look even more minty!
2. In a medium bowl, combine cocoa flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
4. .....................................

for full instruction please see: www.yourcupofcake.com

Share this post