Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
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Rich chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade mint buttercream frosting and a chocolate mint are the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert!
I’m not Irish. I’ll be the first to admit it. So why do I have so many St. Patrick’s Day recipes on the blog? Well, when you are an elementary school teacher you celebrate all of the holidays. That’s just the way it is.
Every year on St. Patrick’s Day I wear a green sweater, put on my shamrock socks, wear my green beads, and put on a shamrock headband. I go all out because the kids expect me too. They also wear green, have shamrock jewelry, and wear various festive stickers or clothing.
One of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day desserts are these Lucky Charms cereal treats because they are fun to eat and easy to make. Another festive dessert are these Green Velvet Cupcakes. St. Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow is a great snack mix for the holiday.
I wanted to make a treat for the kids but I was running out of time. I decided to use a box cake mix and doctor up a batch of chocolate cupcakes with homemade mint buttercream frosting.
How to Doctor a boxed cake mix:
- Substitute milk for the water. You will be doing a 1:1 substitution. Use regular milk or a plant based version.
- Add an extra egg to the batter. Most box cake mixes use 3 eggs so add in a fourth egg.
- Use melted butter in place of the oil.
- Add a box of pudding mix. Trust me on this, it will enhance the flavor. Choose a flavors that pairs well with your cake mix flavor.
- Use vanilla yogurt or sour cream in place of the water in the recipe.
- Add vanilla or almond extract to give the cake additional flavor.
For this recipe I used a Devil’s Food Cake boxed mix but you can use any type of chocolate cake mix you would like. While I added in milk instead of water I also added in a quarter cup of coffee to the mix as well.
Why did you add coffee to the chocolate cupcakes?
Adding coffee to chocolate cupcakes enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. The coffee deepens the chocolate notes and makes for a richer and more intense flavor. It also adds moisture and complexity to the cake, giving it a more decadent taste.
I find that people can rarely tell I used a boxed cake mix if I doctor it up and then use a homemade frosting. I made my classic buttercream frosting recipe and added a mint emulsion in place of the vanilla. You can use mint extract as well, I just find that the mint emulsion isn’t as overpowering in flavor.
Ingredients:
- a box of chocolate cake mix (you can use any chocolate flavor)
- sour cream (or you can also use Greek yogurt if you prefer)
- whole milk (or you can use plant based milk if you prefer)
- vegetable oil (or you can use melted butter instead)
- coffee (this is optional; if you don’t add it then increase the amount of milk used)
- vanilla extract
- eggs
The cupcakes were simple to make because I used a box mix. To make the cupcakes preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with cupcake liners. In a large bowl combine the chocolate cake mix, sour cream, milk, vegetable oil, coffee, vanilla extract, and eggs. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
To make the frosting beat the butter with a mixer until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, mint extract, green food coloring, and milk. Mix until smooth. Pipe onto the cupcakes.
What kind of food coloring do you use?
I like to use gel food coloring for all of my baking. It stays true to the color and I don’t have to use nearly as much of it. My preferred food coloring is AmeriColor Food Gel.
These turned out super pretty. I love the contrast of the dark cupcakes with the bright green frosting. A chocolate mint is placed on top to finish the look.
The chocolate cupcakes were rich and chocolatey while the frosting was a cool peppermint. It was such a great combination.
These cupcakes would be great for St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, or just a random party.
If you’ve tried my Mint Chocolate Cupcakes or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:
Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 box chocolate cake
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1 c. milk
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
For the Frosting:
- 1 c. 2 sticks butter, softened
- 4 c. powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon green food coloring
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk
- 24 chocolate mints
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with fun green cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the chocolate cake mix, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix well until combined. Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until mixed into the batter.
- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the buttercream place the butter in a large bowl and mix with a mixer until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the frosting is smooth.
- Beat in the peppermint extract and green food coloring and beat for 1 minute.
- Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Pipe the green mint frosting onto the cupcakes. Top each cupcake with a chocolate mint.
Notes
Great idea for a St. Patrick’s Day treat! They sound delicious and look amazing.