These mint chocolate cupcakes are easy to make and are the perfect combination of rich fudgy chocolate cake and minty buttercream- perfect for Christmas, St Patrick’s Day or as a base for Halloween monster cupcakes.

What equipment do I need for these cupcakes?

• 14 cupcake or muffin cases – I use 35mm x 55mm cupcake cases for a fuller cupcake that doesn’t overspill when baking. Whatever size you use, be sure to only fill the case 2/3 full so as to allow for the rise and to avoid an ugly overspill!
• 12 hole muffin or cupcake baking tray
• 1M piping tip and piping bag

What ingredients do I need?

• Butter – Unsalted butter is preferred although salted can be used if the extra 1/4 teaspoon salt is then left out. The butter for the mint buttercream frosting needs to be softened to room temperature before using in order to avoid curdling
• Caster sugar – white caster sugar or light brown sugar can be used for this recipe
• Cocoa powder – Dutch processed cocoa powder gives a more intense chocolate flavor to the cupcakes
• Icing sugar – Standard icing sugar, sifted to remove any clumps
• Eggs – Free range eggs at room temperature so that they don’t curdle with the melted chocolate and butter
• Gluten free flour – A gluten free flour blend such as Doves Farm Self-Raising Flour or Schär Mix C with added Xanthan gum is perfect for this recipe, otherwise a standard flour blend will work fine, just be sure to add the required baking powder and xanthan gum
• Vanilla Essence – Vanilla essence, extract or vanilla sugar can be used as long as it is gluten-free
• Xanthan gum – Xanthan gum is essential for most gluten free recipes and there’s no exceptions here. Doves Farm is my preferred choice
• Milk – Full-fat whole milk or double cream can be used to add a creaminess to the buttercream which makes it smoother and easier to pipe
• Peppermint extract – A little goes a long way, so only a few drops according to personal taste are needed
• Green food colouring – For buttercreams and frosting, it’s best to use a gel food colouring for a more intense colour and to avoid adding any additional liquid to the recipe which might throw off the balance of ingredients
• Chocolate shavings – You can use chocolate sprinkles or shavings to top your cupcakes. I prefer chocolate shavings for these as I also add some to the buttercream before piping

Tips

• Room temperature butter is crucial for a smooth silky buttercream that doesn’t curdle. Don’t overlook this. If you forget to take the butter out of the fridge in advance, warm it up at 5 second intervals in the microwave until softened, but be careful not to melt the butter!
• Every oven is calibrated differently so be sure to keep an eye on the cupcakes and check them at regular intervals to see if they’re done by using the toothpick test. Insert a clean toothpick into the top of the cupcake, if it comes out with wet mixture attached, the cupcakes need extra time. If the toothpick comes out with a few very fine crumbs, they’re just about ready to come out!

Tried this recipe? Let me know what you think!