Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

I've said before and I'll say it again - Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream is the BEST!  (Don't even try and debate me on this one.)  Mint and chocolate is just the most perfect flavor combination. 

Since I love mint and chocolate so much it only makes sense that I would combine them into a cupcake.  In my first attempt at a mint chocolate cupcake, I created a minty, chocolate chip cake and topped it with a minty, Andes mint buttercream.

It was good and it had a lot of delicious mint flavor but there just wasn't enough of the chocolate flavor to compliment all of the mint flavor. 

So it was time to revisit the mint chocolate cupcake.  A deep, dark chocolate cupcake filled with a rich, mint chocolate ganache, topped with a creamy, minty buttercream and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips.  (Shout out to Annie's Eats for the inspiration for this little gem.) 

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature


For the frosting:
10 large egg whites
2 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
7 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2-3 tsp. mint extract

green food coloring








To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth.












In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.













In microwave bowl , combine the butter and the sugar.  Heat 1 minute until the butter is melted.






Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled.

 
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.

Add cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

 
Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate and cream in a medium bowl over a double boiler.  Heat, without stirring until melted.











With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles.














When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated.













Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon mint extract if desired.







Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit.  Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly. 

Use a corer to cut a small circle out of the center of each cupcake.

 Fill with ganache.

To make buttercream.  Make a batch of vanilla buttercream.  Add a small amount of mint extract and green food coloring.

Pipe onto cupcakes.  (I used a Wilton 1M tip.)

 

 

These might just be the most delicious cupcakes that I have ever made.  I just can't resist that mint chocolate combination. 

Ciao!