Mint Chocolate After Eight Cupcakes

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 1 Mint, leaves

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg, medium

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 28 g Brown sugar, soft
  • 37 1/2 g Caster sugar
  • 10 g Cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 40 g Dark chocolate
  • 50 g Fondant icing sugar
  • 300 g Icing sugar
  • 1 Small Pinch Salt
  • 55 g Self raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

• Drinks

  • 1/2 tsp Instant coffee

• Dairy

  • 65 g Butter
  • 1 Splash Milk
  • 15 ml Whole milk

• Desserts

  • 3 drops Peppermint natural extract

Found on corianderqueen.com

Description

Ingredients

• 65g (2.25oz) Butter
• 37.5g (1.3oz) Caster Sugar
• 28g (1oz) Soft Brown Sugar
• Small Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 15ml whole milk
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 10ml water
• ½ Teaspoon vanilla essence
• 10g (0.35oz) cocoa powder
• 1 Medium Egg
• 55g (1.9oz) Self Raising Flour
• Peppermint Filling:
• A few drops of Peppermint Natural Extract
• 50g Fondant Icing Sugar
• Chocolate Icing:
• 40g Dark chocolate, Melted
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• Splash of Milk
• 300g Sifted Icing Sugar
• Mint leaves, to garnish

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 180C and line a cupcake tray with paper cupcake cases.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and both the caster and soft brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the salt, cocoa powder, self raising flour and baking powder and milk and mix until combined.
• Break the egg into the mixture, add the vanilla essence and whisk.
• Last of all add the coffee and gently fold it into the mixture.
• Using metal spoons, spoon about a tablespoon of cake mixture into each case.
• Place into the middle of the oven, and cook for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Press the top of the cakes gently to see if it springs back (or you could insert a skewer, if it comes out clean the cake is cooked)
• Leave to cool a little before putting the cakes onto a wire rack to cool.
• To make the peppermint filling: Mix together the fondant icing sugar with a tablespoon of water, plus a two drops of peppermint oil.
• Keep adding water a tablespoon at a time until the icing sugar is dissolved. It should be quite thick and feel like you are stirring treacle. (You dont want it to be too runny or it will just absorb into the cake).
• Using the wide end of a large piping nozzle, cut holes into the top of each cake. Drop a little of the peppermint icing into each hole. You may need to trim some sponge off the base of each circular lid before replacing it on top of each cake so it sits flat.
• To make the chocolate icing:
• Place a large nozzle into an icing bag. Melt the chocolate.
• Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the cocoa powder. Add about two tablespoons of milk and the melted chocolate.
• Beat hard until well combined, if the mixture is dry or very stiff just add another tablespoon of milk. It needs to be piping consistency but you dont want it to be at all runny.
• Using a spatula scoop the icing into the piping bag (I find it easiest to do this by putting the piping bag nozzle down into a glass or mug).
• Put a little icing across the top of each cake with a palette knife to help the piped icing to stick.
• Pipe slowly from the centre of each cupcake to the outside.
• Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy!
• Store your cakes in an airtight container.