Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
My mint chocolate cupcakes were inspired by Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. Dark Chocolate cupcakes piled high with a swirl of creamy mint buttercream and chocolate buttercream topped with a thin mint cookie. Not cookie season? No worries, the Thin Mint cookie is just a topper and you can substitute a mint Oreo cookie. Even without the cookie on top the combination of mint and chocolate frostings will have you dreaming of Thin Mints. These chocolate mint cupcakes aka Thin Mint Cupcakes are a perfect way to use up that freezer stash of Girl Scout cookies or a festive treat for St. Patrick’s Day.
Ingredient Notes
Below are some notes on key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, see the recipe card below.
- Cocoa powder: If there’s one ingredient I usually go for a higher quality on its unsweetened cocoa powder. My favorite is Guittard Cocoa Rouge. Another good one, slightly cheaper is Ghirardelli Unsweetened cocoa.
- Vegetable oil: I almost always go for oil over butter in chocolate layer cakes to make it super moist. You can use vegetable or canola oil.
- Buttermilk: If you don’t have store-bought buttermilk you can easily substitute with milk and lemon juice. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice to a measuring cup and then add enough milk until you have 1/2 cup total. Let sit for about five minutes before adding to your batter.
- Coffee: anytime you’re baking something chocolatey adding coffee doesn’t hurt. I often add espresso powder to brownies and for cakes and cupcakes such as these I add freshly brewed hot coffee. The coffee just enhances the chocolate flavor, the baked cake will not have a coffee flavor. If you prefer not to use coffee, you can substitute hot water.
- Salted Butter: I only bake with salted butter. You’ve probably heard to use unsalted because there can be discrepancies in how much salt is in different brands but I have yet to come across a brand of butter that is too salty. I find that when I use unsalted butter I have to add a lot of salt to balance out the sweetness of most of my recipes, especially buttercream. For the buttercream we want to use room temperature or softened butter. You can leave it out at room temperature about an hour before you need to use it, or microwave it for about 15 seconds to soften.
- Mint cookies – I’m using Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies to top my cupcakes but you can also substitute mint Oreo Cookies. Even without the cookie topper the combination of mint and chocolate buttercream packs a lot of flavor.
Chocolate Cupcakes
My go-to chocolate cupcake recipe is really easy, no electric mixer required. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. To make the cupcakes combine the vegetable oil and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat with a whisk or hand mixer. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk. And lastly add in the hot coffee, mixing on low speed.
Divide batter among 16 cupcake liners. I find an ice cream scoop works perfect for portioning out the batter. Bake chocolate cupcakes for 18 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Mint Buttercream
To make the mint buttercream frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup and a time. If you are using organic powdered sugar, you will want to sift it first to get out any large lumps. Add the heavy cream and peppermint extract and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add a pinch of salt (to taste) and mix. Lastly add a couple drops of green food coloring and mix.
Chocolate Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar a cup at a time. In a separate bowl melt the chocolate chips and set aside to cool. I start with 3 cups and then you can add more after the rest of the ingredients to adjust the consistency. Add the cocoa, salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine. Add the cream and beat on medium for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thin to pipe add additional powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff, add more cream.
Creating the buttercream swirl
Place each frosting in its own piping bag. I am using disposable pastry bags but you can also use a ziploc bag with a corner cut off.
Spread a sheet of plastic wrap about 1 ft long on your counter or surface. First, pipe a long of the mint frosting, down the center lengthwise. Pipe a line of the chocolate frosting alongside that one so they are touching. Fold the plastic wrap over from bottom to top to form a log. Twist the ends to seal the buttercream inside. Cut one end and place the cut side down into a large piping bag with about an inch cut off (no piping tip necessary). Pipe a tall swirl of frosting on top of the cupcake. Top with a Thin Mint or Mint Oreo and enjoy these delicious mint chocolate cupcakes! To see more on piping swirls checkout my story highlight.
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup hot coffee (or substitute hot water)
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks or ½ pound), softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar (1 pound)
- ¼ cup heavy cream or milk
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- pinch salt
- 1 drop green food coloring
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks for ½ pound), softened
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 16 cupcakes.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer mix together the oil and the sugar.
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat just until combined.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk.
- Add the hot coffee and mix on low just until incorporated.
- Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon fill the cupcake liners about ¾ of the way full. One scoop from an ice cream scoop is the perfect amount.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Move to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup and a time. **see notes below
- Add the heavy cream and peppermint extract and beat until smooth. Add a pinch of salt (to taste) and mix.
- Lastly, mix in the green food coloring.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar a cup at a time. In a separate bowl melt the chocolate chips and set aside to cool. I start with 3 cups and then you can add more after the rest of the ingredients to adjust the consistency.
- Add the cocoa, salt and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine. Add the cream and beat on medium for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thin to pipe add additional powdered sugar. If it's too stiff, add more cream.
- Spread a sheet of plastic wrap about 1 ft long on your counter or surface. First, pipe a long of the mint frosting, down the center lengthwise. Pipe a line of the chocolate frosting alongside that one so they are touching.
- Fold the plastic wrap over from bottom to top to form a log. Twist the ends to seal the buttercream inside. Cut one end and place the cut side down into a piping bag with about an inch cut off (no piping tip necessary). To see how I pips swirled buttercream check out this story highlight: http://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17868979693703108/?hl=en
- Pipe tall swirls of frosting on each cupcake. Top with a Thin Mint cookie or a mint Oreo cookie and enjoy!
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