Mint chocolate cupcakes are moist dark chocolate cupcakes swirled with mint buttercream frosting, drizzled with chocolate ganache, and topped with mint chocolate candy.
Ingredients for Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes
- Dark cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder. Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder is my favorite.
- Chocolate chips – Dark or semisweet chocolate chips.
- Boiling water – To boil water, I use a glass liquid measuring cup that is microwave safe. The water boils in about 90 seconds.
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to level your measuring cups!
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Baking soda – Leavening agent to help the cupcakes rise.
- Salt – Salt enhances the flavor of the cupcakes.
- Eggs – Large eggs, room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – You could also use canola oil or another neutral baking oil.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract also enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
Mint buttercream frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature unsalted butter for easy creaming.
- Powdered sugar – Only sift if your powdered sugar is very lumpy.
- Salt – A bit of salt enhances the flavor of the buttercream and contrasts the sweetness.
- Mint extract – Use mint extract as opposed to peppermint extract for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – A bit of vanilla extract adds a bit more flavor to the buttercream.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream makes the buttercream light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Green gel food coloring – A couple drops of green gel food coloring gives the buttercream a beautiful, minty green color.
Chocolate ganache
- Chocolate chips – Semisweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Heavy cream – Do not substitute milk. The high fat content of the heavy cream is needed so the chocolate doesn’t seize up.
Topping
- Chocolate mint candies – For these cupcakes, I used Andes mint candies.
Tools & Supplies for Making Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes
These chocolate cupcakes are incredibly easy to make! All you need is mixing bowl and a whisk!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
- Combine dark cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and boiling water. Mix and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Add in vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the cupcakes bounce back when gently touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Make Mint Buttercream Frosting
To make mint buttercream frosting, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or an electric hand mixer.
- Whip room temperature butter for about 5 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low speed in between each addition.
- Add mint extract, vanilla extract, and salt and continue to mix on low until combined.
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add a few drops of green gel food coloring if desired.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the buttercream for about 3-5 minutes.
- (Optional) Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low speed for an additional 5 minutes to remove air bubbles and make the buttercream silky smooth.
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe Tips
Make perfect cupcakes
Check out my baking tips blog post on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cupcakes to learn simple tips and tricks to bake the best cupcakes ever! I also have a blog post for 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream!
Mint extract
For this recipe, you will definitely want to go with mint or spearmint extract as opposed to peppermint.
Cool the ganache slightly to prevent the buttercream from melting
To ensure that the buttercream doesn’t melt when you drizzle on the ganache, there are two things you can do! Number one, chill the frosted cupcakes for about 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream a bit. Number two, slightly cool the chocolate ganache before drizzling onto the cupcakes.
Decorating the cupcakes
Be creative when decorating your cupcakes! For these cupcakes, I used a Wilton 1M tip and a piping bag to pipe on the mint frosting. I used a squeeze bottle to drizzle on the chocolate ganache. And then sprinkled on chopped Andes mint candy.
Storing and serving
Mint chocolate cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Remove the cupcakes from the refrigerator about an hour before serving to bring to room temperature.
Click here to see a quick video on how to make mint chocolate cupcakes! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk/paddle attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- ¼ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mint Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp mint extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 drop green gel food coloring
Chocolate Ganache
- ¼ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Candy Topping
- 10 Andes mint candies
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake tray with 12 cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl or a glass liquid measuring cup, stir together chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and boiling water until the cocoa powder is dissolved. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, combine aal-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Mix the chocolate mixture again to ensure that the chocolate chips are melted. Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined.
- Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop and fill cupcake liners ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.
Mint Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, add in room temperature unsalted butter. Whip the butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add one half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed setting until fully combined. Add remaining powdered sugar and continue to mix on low until incorporated.
- Add vanilla extract, mint extract, and salt and mix on low until combined.
- Increase speed to medium on the mixer and slowly drizzle in the heavy cream. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure the frosting is well mixed. Add a few drops of green gel food coloring, if desired.
- Turn the speed on the mixer to high and whip for an additional 3-5 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- If desired, switch to a paddle attachment on the stand mixer and mix buttercream on low speed for 2 additional minutes to remove air bubbles to create smooth frosting.
Chocolate Ganache
- Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir.
- Pour into a squeeze bottle or piping bag.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Use a Wilton 1M tip to swirl the mint buttercream frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
- Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the mint buttercream and top with chopped Andes mint candies.
Notes
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