Mighty Mint

I know some people are not big fans of the mint-chocolate combo, but I like it. Whether it's good ol' After Eights, or mint chocolate chip ice cream, or Peppermint Patties, or *drool* Junior Mints, or Arnotts Mint Slice cookies... I like 'em all. So of course I had to look for a good mint chocolate cupcake recipe. I've been using this recipe from Julie Hasson's 125 Best Cupcake Recipes and it's been good to me. This is one of my sister's favorite cupcakes, and I like to make them into little itty bitty babycakes, cos they're just so darn cute. This cupcake has the chocolate and the mint combined, rather than a chocolate cupcake with a separate layer of mint frosting on top. I top it off with a rich chocolate mint buttercream for an extra choc-minty boost.

Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
Ingredients:
¾ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa, sifted
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
½ tsp peppermint extract (I like to use more, but it's to your taste)
½ cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk together sugar, oil and egg until smooth. Add peppermint extract, mixing well. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour. Beat until smooth.
4. Scoop batter into cupcake papers. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes (for minis; for regular-sized cupcakes bake for 20 to 25 minutes), or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Chocolate Mint Frosting
Ingredients:
5 cups icing sugar, sifted
¾ cup + 3 tbsp cocoa, sifted
½ cup + 2 tbsp butter
8 tbsp milk
1½ tsp peppermint extract
1¼ tsp vanilla

Directions:
Combine icing sugar, cocoa, butter, 6 tbsp milk, mint and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Thin with more milk by tablespoonfuls if necessary.