Choc-Mint Cupcakes

Warning: if you typed Lindt and chocolate cupcakes into a search engine an arrived at this place, these cupcakes don't actually contain any Lindt chocolate....well, maybe!

But I'm talking about Lindt anyway....
And it will be sort-of relevant, if you're open-minded and think laterally  ; )

Ok, so Lindt...
It is by far my favourite type of chocolate. There are probably other great chocolates out there, but I'm in much too much of a comfort zone to find out.
My only hesitation with Lindt is which flavour combination of their Intense range to choose: Blueberry.... Caramel.....Orange .... Mint. Oh, um...
Mint and blueberry are probably on a par as my favorites, though.
(And as far as Lindt Wasabi Intense goes.... What were they thinking??)

(Getting to my point)  - the combination of chocolate and mint is, in my opinion, a classic winner.
 and so here is a wannabe- cupcake version of it - an intense dark chocolate cupcake with a minty, rich chocolate icing.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from the Hershey's chocolate cake recipe.

Preheat the oven to 180'C
Prepare 2x 12hole muffin trays with cupcake cases. (Plus an extra 6 if you aren't using larger "American"-style muffin cases)

2 cups cake flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup boiling water **
1tsp Vanilla (8-10drops of Vanilla Girl vanilla extract)

** for an extra intense flavour, replace boiling water with a cup of strong, hot, black coffee

Sift together all the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
Make a well in the centre, and pour in the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
Mix well.
Add the boiling water. Mix until combined.

Pour into the prepared cupcake cases - do not fill more than halfway!
Bake at 180'C for approx 20min, or until a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Remove cupcakes from muffin trays and cool.

Ice when completely cool.

Minty Chocolate Mousse Icing
Recipe by Tea, Cake & Create

(Enough for 2 dozen cupcakes)

150g butter, at room temp
1 1/2 tubs cream cheese (375g), cold from the fridge. NB use a dense cream cheese like the Woolworths brand or Lancewood.
1 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Mint essence.
1 Peppermint Crisp  - roughly chopped.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until pale and soft before adding the icing sugar.
Mix until just combined.
Add in the cream cheese and cocoa. Mix well.
Add a few drops of mint essence until you've achieved your desired mintiness.


Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with chopped Peppermint Crisp. (Alternatively add the chopped Peppermint Crisp to the icing before piping).

Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
But if you're thinking of replacing that with a square of Lindt chocolate - I like the way you're thinking : )

xxM