Mint-Choc Cupcakes

Yay my first recipe on this blog! This recipe i created from a chocolate cake recipe from the Crabapple Bakery Cupcake book, and a mint icing recipe i found on the internet. I know the icing looks kind of dodgy but that is just because my beaters broke so i mixed it with a fork. 

    

Makes 24-30 normal sized or 48 - 55 mini

Keeps for 2 days, can be frozen for 2 months.

You will need:

CAKE

3 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons coffee granules 

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup cocoa (can use 1 cup with an extra cup of water if you want extra chocolate)

200g softened unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups castor sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

ICING

1 cup (2 sticks of butter) softened

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Cakes

Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius, 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line two 12 hole ordinary size muffin trays or four mini trays with foils.

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the coffee, hot water and cocoa until evenly combined.

In another bowl, cream the butter from a minute or so. Add the castor sugar a third at a time, each time beating until butter and sugar is combined. After the last third, beat until the sugar and butter until it is light and fluffy, and sugar is close to dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time, each time beating them in for a minute or so. Then add the vanilla essence and beat in until combined.

Add a quarter of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on a low speed until combined. Add a third of the cocoa mixture and beat on a low speed until combined. Add a third of cocoa mixture and beat until combined . Repeat this process twice more. Add the remaining quarter of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat as this will toughen the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake foils, filling each one equally about a three quarters full. Leave the mixture in the papers for 20 minutes before baking to prevent the top of the cakes cracking. Bake the cakes for 18- 20 minutes (less for the mini ones). Remove the cakes immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before icing them.

Icing

Beat the butter until creamy, make sure you scrape all the bits off the side of the bowl.

Add sifted sugar, milk and peppermint extract, then beat until combined.

Add more sugar of milk to get the consistancy good.

Top all of the cakes with a silver cachou

Hello

Hello everyone ( all of the NO followers that i have so far)
I feel kind of strange posting even though at the moment nobody reads this blog, but it looks stupid with nothing on it. Basically the main reason for this blog is because my New Years Resolution was to make a batch of cupcakes every weekend. And so now i will put photos and recipes up on here. Mostly the recipes aren't my originals, so i will say where i got them, but usually i do make subtle changes to them. i hope you like my recipies!

xxx B