Double Chocolate Mint Cupcakes Recipes

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:

• 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 the oven to 350 F. Line two 12-cup standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a bowl, using an electric mixer, mix the cake mix, 1 1/3 cups water, oil and eggs on medium speed until moistened and smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, stirring it occasionally to redistribute the chocolate chips. The batter will nearly fill each liner to the top. Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the tops of the cupcakes. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• When cool, put the White Faux Buttercream out with spoons or small spatulas along with bowls of the cupcake toppings for the kids to decorate their own cupcakes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until very soft. Meanwhile, place a large sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Using a large sifter, sift the confectioners' sugar onto the parchment. This helps prevent clumping and makes the mixing easier. Lower the speed of the mixer and, using the parchment as a funnel, pour half the sugar into the bowl and mix slowly until combined. Add the milk and mix until combined. Once combined, add the remaining sugar with the vanilla and mix. Once it is combined, turn the mixer speed up and beat the icing until very light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. If desired, divide the icing into smaller batches and color with food coloring.
• Spread the icing on cooled cupcakes while at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover icing, but be sure to let it come back to room temperature before using. Re-whip the icing to make it fluffy again. Makes 4 cups (enough for 24 cupcakes).
• Yield: about 8 cups, enough for at least 6 dozen cupcakes
• Prep Time: 10 minutes Ease of preparation: easy

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place foil or paper baking cups into 30 mini (1 1/4-inch) muffin pan cups. Set aside.
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add buttermilk, 1 ounce melted chocolate, egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed. Add boiling water; continue beating until smooth.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin pan cups. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Place 1/3 cup Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread and melted chocolate in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cocoa, alternately with whipping cream, beating well after each addition until creamy.
• Pipe or frost each cupcake with about 1 tablespoon frosting; sprinkle with decorator sprinkles, if desired.

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.