Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Chocolate mint cupcakes are a moist chocolate mint cake topped with sweet, refreshing minty buttercream. Who doesn’t love the chocolate-mint combo?

Well hello! Guess what I have for you today?

I really hope you guessed chocolate mint cupcakes. Because otherwise my photos need significant improvement.

Some people relegate mint to the holidays but I believe in eating mint year round, especially in the summer because it’s SO refreshing. And I’m all about creative ways to cool off in the Phoenix summer heat.

PS, can a cupcake actually qualify as refreshing? Crossing my fingers you all don’t think I’m a crazy person.

Why you’ll love these chocolate mint cupcakes

• They’re easy enough that an inexperienced baker can make them successfully
• You don’t need a stand mixer! 
• Chocolate and mint is a classic flavor combo that (most) people love any time of year

All you need for to make these cupcakes is a couple of bowls, a whisk, and a rubber spatula.

Here’s a little preview of what the process will look like. Mix your batter, fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, then bake, COOL, and frost. Easy peasy!

Just be sure your cupcakes cool completely before you frost them or you’ll end up with a puddle of mint buttercream rather than a cute little frosted cupcake.

These cupcakes call for warm coffee. Coffee deepens the flavor of chocolate, which is why you often see it in chocolate recipes.

If you really don’t like coffee, you can substitute flat cola. Decaf cola is fine.

You can also substitute melted butter for the vegetable oil, but the texture of your cupcakes will be a little different than mine.

Notes about the mint frosting

You want your butter to be at room temperature for this frosting.Get the butter out before you start on the cupcakes, slice it into tablespoon-sized pieces, and it will be ready to use by the time your cupcakes have baked and cooled.

Tip: If you forget to take the butter out before you get started baking, give it 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature, and you should be fine.

As I said above, you don’t need a stand mixer for these cupcakes. An electric hand mixer is fine for the frosting—unless you have biceps of steel, I don’t recommend making frosting by hand. Electric mixers are very reasonably priced and are pretty indispensable in the kitchen!

To frost my chocolate mint cupcakes, I used a large open star tip.

It’s a big tip that doesn’t require a coupler (which means one less thing to clean) and it makes PERFECT frosting swirls every time. If you own just one decorating tip, it should be this one! (In my humble opinion.)

Now what are you waiting for? Get baking! You KNOW you want a couple chocolate mint cupcakes for lunch tomorrow! Or dinner tonight 🙂

Did you make these chocolate mint cupcakes? That’s great! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below. And post a pic on Instagram too! Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see! Then like IBK on Facebook and follow on Pinterest for more fun and decadent recipes.

5 from 1 vote

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Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

18 mins

Cooling time

3 hrs

Total Time

3 hrs 43 mins

 

Chocolate mint cupcakes are a delicious treat any time of year!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 14

Author: Kelsie

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups warm coffee you can substitute flat cola

Mint frosting:

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk or cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• green food coloring optional
• chocolate jimmies for garnish optional

Instructions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 14 to 15 muffin cups with cupcake liners and set pan aside.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Combine the sugar, butter, oil, in a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Beat in the eggs, peppermint extract, and vanilla.
4. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then slowly mix in the coffee until just incorporated. Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full.
5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back when touched gently with your fingertip. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the pans to cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting:

1. Beat the butter with a hand mixer on low speed until very creamy. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of the milk, the peppermint extract, and the salt.
2. Beat on low to combine, then add the food coloring (if using). Turn mixer to medium and beat until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin and additional milk if frosting is too thick.
3. Frost cupcakes as desired and top with chocolate jimmies (if using).

Recipe Notes

You want your butter to be at room temperature for this frosting. Get the butter out before you start on the cupcakes, slice it into tablespoon-sized pieces, and it will be ready to use by the time your cupcakes have baked and cooled. (If you forget to take it out ahead of time, give it 30 minutes at room temperature and you should be fine.)

Cupcakes adapted from The New Best  of Betterbaking.com