Delicious Choc Mint Cupcakes

I've landed upon an amazing recipe and have altered some of it to suit simplicity and yumminess (do forgive me for some odd measurements, as I halved the recipe)! I only made these yesterday but they're so delicious that I can't stop eating them! It's an easy recipe from scratch, and I promise that they will not dissappoint!


The frosting recipe is adapted from the Wilton Buttercream Icing.In terms of the '8th's in the recipe, just use a 1/4 cup and eye ball what you think half of a 1/4 cup is. (Sorry about this!)

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes  (makes about 20-24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

for the cupcakes:
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 3/8 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/8 cups caster sugar
2 eggs
2/4 tsp vanilla extract
2/4 tsp peppermint extract


1. In a medium bowl, combine boiling water and cocoa powder, stirring untill smooth. Put this aside and let it sit for 15 minutes to cool down.

2. Prepare oven to 180C or 350F and line muffin tray with cupcake liners.

3. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, whisking untill well combined.

4.In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer, on medium setting untill light and fluffy.

5. Add eggs, one at a time, untill mixture becomes light yellow and mix in the vanilla and peppermint extract.

6.Keep the mixer mixing at a low speed, and slowly add the dry ingredients and cocoa mixture.

7. Raise the speed to medium for two minutes and fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full.

8. Place in oven and bake for 16-20 minutes or until cupcake is set.

9. Once taken out of the oven, let the cupcakes sit in the tray for 5 more minutes, and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

For the Frosting
1/2 cup of solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup of butter (or 1 cup butter if you don't have vegetable shortening)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
4 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
light green food colouring (liquid or gel)

1.In a large bowl, cream vegetable shortening and butter with an electric mixer together untill smooth and add the vanilla and peppermint extract.

2. On a medium speed, slowly add the icing sugar one cup at a time.

3.When all sugar is combined, the icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

4. Add a drop of green food colouring to give a visual minty affect.

5. Using a piping bag, swirl the buttercream ontop of the cupcakes, using a 1m tip. Alternatively, use a swirling tip for any other brand, or simply use a knife and spread buttercream over the cupcakes.