Over-the-Top Andes Mint Cupcakes
User Reviews
4.7
Over-the-Top Andes Mint Cupcakes
Description
This recipe produces chocolate cupcakes rich with cocoa, leavened by baking powder and soda for lift, and made moist by incorporating boiling water into the batter. The batter is smooth and lends itself to baking about 30 cupcakes, which may require baking in batches depending on oven capacity.
While baking, a chocolate mint filling is prepared by melting chocolate chips with heavy cream, incorporating peppermint extract and powdered sugar for sweetness and cooling mint flavor. Once cupcakes are baked and cooled, this filling is used to create a minty core inside.
The cupcakes are finished with a mint buttercream frosting made from butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, peppermint extract, and green food coloring for festive appearance and flavor. Andes mint candies are used as a garnish on each cupcake, emphasizing the chocolate-mint theme.
Special consideration is given to baking at high altitude, with some recommending filling cupcake liners halfway instead of two-thirds full to avoid overflow during rise.
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-3/4 /4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
- 1-1/2 /2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1-1/2 /2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup water boiling
- 30 mint candy Andes brand; for garnish
Chocolate Mint Filling:
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Mint Buttercream:
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 32 ounces powdered sugar (about 7 cups)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- green food coloring
Instructions
- For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups.
- In a large bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; using a handheld electric mixer or an electric stand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. The batter will be on the thinner side.
- Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. This recipe makes about 30 cupcakes. So you may need to bake the cupcakes in installments if you only have 1 or 2 muffin tins. Let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack, after removing them from the muffin tin.
- For the mint filling, while the cupcakes are baking, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir. Repeat the process until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract and powdered sugar, whisking until smooth. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (but don’t let it get too stiff) and pour it into a squeeze bottle or a ziploc bag (it helps to place the ziploc bag, one point down, in a tall glass while filling).
- When the cupcakes are cool, insert the tip of the squeeze bottle into the center of the cupcake and press gently to fill the middle of the cupcake with the mint ganache.
- For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add the heavy cream and peppermint and vanilla extracts. Beat until light and fluffy. Add green food coloring until the color you like is achieved.
- Frost the cooled, filled cupcakes with frosting (using a large star tip) or simply spread the frosting in a large dollop with a butter knife or flat spatula. Garnish with an unwrapped Andes mint and a drizzle of leftover ganache (make sure the ganache is completely cool or it will melt the frosting when you drizzle it on top of the cupcake). Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- When baking at high elevations, consider filling cupcake liners only halfway to prevent overflowing.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 30cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Cupcake | |
| Calories | 340kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 50g | 17% |
| Protein | 2g | 4% |
| Fat | 16g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Cholesterol | 45mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 194mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 47g | 94% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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