Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Rich chocolate cupcakes with minty cream cheese frosting. If you love Andes mints, you'll love these cupcakes!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 c all purpose flour
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 1/4 c Dutch process cocoa powder*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1/4 c vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 c hot coffee
Mint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 c butter, softened
- 1/2 c cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 tsp mint extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 c powdered sugar
- few drops green food coloring, optional
- 12 Andes mints, for decoration, optional
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, then spray the paper liners with nonstick cooking spray (preferably one that has flour in it). Spraying them helps keep the cupcakes from sticking too much.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachments, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add into the flour mixture, mixing on low speed.
- Add the coffee and stir to combine, stopping to scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Once all is well-combined, divide batter evenly among the muffin cups.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack (about 1-2 hours).
- Once cool, go ahead and frost, or wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 days or freeze for up to a month. Allow to come to room temperature before frosting.
Mint Cream Cheese Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer), mix butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well-mixed and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and mint extracts and mix well. Then add powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing until combined in between. If using green food coloring, add it a little at a time until you get the color you want.
- Then, beat frosting at medium-high speed until frosting is fluffy. Frost cupcakes however you like (I used a pastry bag and a large round piping tip), and top with Andes mints, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
*This recipe can be made with natural cocoa powder instead, but the chocolate flavor won’t be as intense.