Mint chocolate cupcakes

Here is the recipe for the Mint chocolate cupcakes I made for St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve omitted the chocolate Shamrock decorations but you can top these cupcakes with whatever toppings you want. Chocolate is recommended! Like the popular ice cream flavour, chocolate chips would turn these into Mint chocolate chip cupcakes :-)

 

Chocolate cupcakes

Ingredients:

100g plain flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

Pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, room temperature

120ml whole milk

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a cupcake tray with paper cases (approx. 12-18).

2. Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl.

Beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

3. Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture.

Beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.

4. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture.

Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Continue mixing until the mixture is smooth. Do not over mix.

5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full

and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes,

or until the sponge bounces back when touched.

A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.

Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray

before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

5. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the frosting on top.

 

 Peppermint buttercream

Ingredients:

4oz unsalted butter, room temperature

8oz icing sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

Green food colouring

Method:

Cream the butter until pale.

Add the vanilla and mix again.

Then add the icing sugar and mix until thick and creamy.

Add a little of the food colouring at a time and mix until you get your desired colour.

N.B.

For the cupcakes, I used semi-skimmed milk and found that worked fine.

The buttercream recipe is my mother-in-law’s and is interchangeable for whatever flavouring you want. For vanilla buttercream, just use 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and for orange buttercream use 1 tsp of orange flavouring, etc.