Week 35, September 28, 2014 ~ Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I don't really have much to say about this cupcake, it is an idea I have been sitting on for a while but was saving it for a week when I didn't have any other brilliant ideas. When I decided this would be the week I made mint chocolate cupcakes I decided I would make a chocolate cake with some sort of mint chips/candy baked inside. So I was strolling the baking aisle, per usual ( If you ever loose me in a store that has a baking aisle try looking there first!) and I happened upon these new chips. 

They are chocolate chips filled with different flavors. They had mint, caramel, peanut butter and cherry. This seemed like a good opportunity to try them. I thought they were really good they cost a bit more than regular chips but I think it was worth it. They melted really well into the cake. I then topped the cupcakes with a mint chocolate glaze and a mint buttercream. For the mint flavor I went with peppermint over regular mint because a lot of people said the mint extract was kind of toothpasty. The cupcake pretty much tasted like a giant thin mint and it was delicious!

This recipe makes 16 cupcakes!

For the chocolate cake:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 ounces dark chocolate ( I used an 80%)

2 large eggs, room temp

2 large egg yolks, room temp

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup cocoa powder--I use Hershey's Special Dark

1/2 cup brewed coffee, room temp

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool.
3. Beat butter and sugar until fully combined and looks like wet sand; add the melted chocolate once cooled and mix to combine.
4. Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.
5. Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.
6. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl.
7. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture a little at a time until just combined.
8. Add the coffee and mix till combined.
9. Fill cupcake liners and bake with 18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
10. Set aside on a wire rack and let cool.

For the mint chocolate glaze: 

• 16 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Chop the baking chocolate into very small, thin pieces. Place in a glass measuring cup or similar container and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract. 

2. Dip the cupcakes into the glaze.

For the Buttercream:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature 
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3  Tbsp heavy cream 
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• green food coloring

1. In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed until butter turns almost white and is fluffy about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. 
2. Add the powdered sugar gradually. Mix until well combined.
3.  3 Tbsp heavy cream and peppermint and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add more cream if frosting is too thick.
4. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip mixture until pale and very fluffy about 4 - 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl.