Saint Paddys Day Cupcakes

Posted 2013-02-21 by Cassandra TJL ⇒ follow

Cupcakes in the spirit of Saint Patrick's Day. Or just when you feel like having some mint chocolate chip cupcakes to sweeten up your day with a hint of minty freshness and Irish Cream (for adults)!

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 / 35-40 minutes
Makes: 24 mini cupcakes / 12 regular cupcakes

Ingredients

Cake:
80 ml full cream milk
2 Peppermint tea bags
60 g unsalted butter
150 g castor sugar
1 large egg
10 g Dutch cocoa powder
4 teaspoon Peppermint essence
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
120 ml Buttermilk
150 g Plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Bicarb Soda
1/2 teaspoon White Vinegar
150 ml Bailey's Irish Cream (or Chocolate Mint Bailey's Irish Cream if you have some) - optional
90 g dark chocolate chips

Mint Icing:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
300 g icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk or cream
2 teaspoon peppermint essence
2 teaspoon green food colouring

Method

Cake:

Split open the teabags and pour the contents into a small saucepan with the milk. Allow the mixture to simmer for a minimum of 10 minutes (the recommended time is 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line the baking tin of your choice - a mini cupcake pan or a regular cupcake pan - with paper liners.

Beat the butter and sugar in a small bowl until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and continue beating.

Pour in the milk mixture along with peppermint essence, sifted cocoa powder and vanilla essence. Beat until well combined.

Mix in half the buttermilk and half of the flour. Once fully incorporated, mix in the remaining buttermilk and flour. Mix until a smooth texture is formed.

Add the salt, bicarbonate soda and vinegar and mix on high speed for two minutes.

Incorporate the Bailey's Irish Cream and the chocolate chips into the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake (12-15 minutes for the mini cupcakes or 35-40 minutes for the regular cupcakes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean)

Leave cupcakes to cool completely.

Mint Icing:

Beat the soft butter and icing sugar together until fully incorporated.

Add the milk or cream as well as the peppermint essence and the green food colouring. Beat until fluffy and then spread on the cupcakes.

Chocolate or rainbow sprinkles on the top of the mint icing is optional.