Chocolate Mint Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, oil and eggs with whisk until well mixed. Beat in vanilla and peppermint extract.
• Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Place powdered sugar in small bowl. Shape dough into tablespoon-size balls; roll in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies crackle and dough doesn't look raw. When cookies are done, immediately place a KISSES candy in center of each cookie, and press lightly. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely until candy is set.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center. Add the buttermilk, oil, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and the eggs to the well and whisk together until there are just a few streaks remaining. Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner about halfway to two-thirds full with batter. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few a crumbs, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
• Meanwhile, place the frosting in a medium bowl. Fold in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, then add the broken candy and fold together using a rubber spatula. Place a dollop of frosting on top of each cupcake and use an offset spatula to spread. Dust the tops with red sprinkles, if using.

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick liners. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling; pour over the cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, flour mixture and mint chocolates.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds of the way. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the melted butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; add the confectioners' sugar, marshmallow cream and milk and beat until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 4 more minutes. Set aside at room temperature until thickened, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe onto the cupcakes. Top with nonpareils and/or coarse sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin tin with greased liners.
• Combine boiling water and cocoa powder in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar in a large bowl; beat together with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Fold peppermint candies into the batter.
• Scoop batter into the muffin tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes are firm to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and set on a rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
• Combine shortening and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add peppermint extract. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in milk, a tablespoon at a time, until buttercream is desired consistency. Fold in food coloring a little at a time to reach desired shade of green.
• Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip. Frost each cupcake with buttercream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, water, and peppermint extract, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth.
• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in tins on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to racks, and let cool. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.
• Spoon buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large, plain tip. Pipe small mounds on tops of cupcakes. Flatten mounds with an offset spatula, then top with chocolate-mint leaves.

Steps:

• Make the Buttercream: Combine sugar, egg whites and salt in mixer bowl, and set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
• Transfer bowl to mixer; whisk on medium-high speed until whites are fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes. Continue to whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter by the tablespoon, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Switch to the paddle attachment and continue beating until smooth. Buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days or frozen up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature before using; beat on lowest speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, water, and peppermint extract, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth.
• Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in tins on wire racks for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to racks, and let cool completely. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for 1 day, or frozen for up to 2 months.
• Frost cupcakes with buttercream and sprinkle crushed candy on top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Line two twelve-cup muffin tins with paper or green foil liners.
• Beat together all cake ingredients, adding the mix when the eggs have been combined. Stir with a whip or spoon for 1-2 minutes, it is okay, if a few lumps remain.
• Divide between prepared pans. Place in oven, rotating pans halfway through cooking, and baking for a total of 20-25 minutes, the cakes will be set, but billowy, when they are done, tear into one loosely with a dinner fork, if there be any suggestion of rawness.
• Cool on racks until cool, unmold to finish cooling, if desired.
• Beat together all icing ingredients except mints in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• While the mixture works, finely chop 12-14 mint candies (1/2 cup), and add to butter icing, working with the mixer, for 1-2 minutes more. Set aside until cakes are cool.
• Rather finely chop the remaining candies, and set into a bowl, set aside.
• Put the icing into a large zip-top bag, and cut about 1/2-inch slit in one corner, or fill a pastry bag, fitted with a large plain, or star tip.
• Cover the tops of each cupcake evenly.
• Dip each top, and side in mint candy pieces, shaking off excess, and coating evenly, it is okay, if not all of the mint pieces are the same size, from an 8.5 ounce bag, there will be enough "crumbs" to cover all of the cakes. Serve at room temperature. Chill one night in the refrigerator, before consuming, if desired.