Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

My friend’s mom brought cupcakes to one of our lacrosse games this spring.  I saw a cupcake with green frosting and a chocolate cake.  I assumed it was a mint chocolate chip cupcake and I was right.  The cupcake was so good that I knew I needed to try to make them once I got home from boarding school.  Now that it’s summer I gave these a try and they were a hit!  I made chocolate cupcakes from The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook and a mint cream cheese frosting.  I then garnished the cupcakes with semi sweet chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcake:

• ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

(This recipe makes 12 cupcakes)

Mint Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract
• 4 tablespoons of butter (room temperature)
• 3 cups powered sugar
• Green food coloring

Directions:

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 325⁰F
2. Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a bowl.
3. Whisk the milk, egg, and vanilla together in a separate bowl.
4. Pour half of milk mixture into flour mixture and combine with a mixer on medium.  Once combined, add the second half of the milk mixture and combine.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake holes until the batter fills 2/3 of the cupcake pan.
6. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is firm and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Make sure you let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them.

For the Frosting:

1. Combine cream cheese, butter, and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium.
2. Once fully combined add the peppermint extract and food coloring until the frosting is the green color you desire.

I love these and I hope you will as well!

Enjoy!,

Lizzie