Mint Devils Food Cupcakes

MINT DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray 12 muffin cups.
• Heat butter and chocolate together in a small saucepan over low heat until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.
• Mix milk, vinegar, and peppermint extract together in another small bowl.
• Beat sugar and eggs together in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate and beat well to combine. Pour in 1/2 cup boiling water and beat until batter is well-blended. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until incorporated. Add milk mixture and blend well. Fill muffin cups 3/4-full with batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
• Combine 2 tablespoons cold water and gelatin in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until gelatin dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, but not until set, about 5 minutes.
• Combine 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons heavy cream, 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and green food coloring in a large bowl. Whip with an electric mixer on low speed until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Beat in dissolved gelatin slowly. Increase speed to high and beat until frosting is stiff, about 3 minutes.
• Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes. Remove and discard cream filling from chocolate sandwich cookies; crush cookies. Scatter cookie crumbs over cupcakes.

THIN MINT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with liners.
• For the crust: In a small bowl, stir together the crushed cookies and butter until combined. Divide among the prepared cupcake cups. Using a small juice glass or your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the cupcake liners. Bake until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
• For the cupcakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and, using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed, 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the cupcakes from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream: Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar until combined. Stir in the salt, mint extract and, if using, food coloring. Beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip.
• Using an apple corer, remove the center of the cupcake down to the cookie crust. Fill the cupcakes with buttercream and smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Set aside. For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and heavy cream until steaming (do not boil). Add the extract. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir until smooth. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the melted chocolate (dipping until the chocolate meets the liner). Let the cupcakes set on a wire rack before serving, about 1 hour.

DEVILS FOOD CUPCAKES WITH MINT BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4. Line cupcake pans with papers.
• In a medium bowl, whisk cocoa and hot water together until smooth.
• Let cool slightly, then whisk in sour cream and melted chocolate until combined.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
• With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined.
• Using a scoop (I used a size 20 scoop) divide batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before frosting.
• Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients together on low speed for one minute until combined, then at high for another 3 - 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Transfer into piping bag fitted with star tip & pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish with shaved creme de menthe candy.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• To make the cupcakes:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 1 (12-cup) muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Slowly beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Mix together the milk, coffee, and vanilla in a measuring cup. Add 1/2 the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beat to combine, then add the milk- coffee mixture and continue to beat, then add the remaining dry mixture. The mixture will look thick and airy.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 way full. Bake until a toothpick, inserted in the middle of the cupcake, comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the oven to a wire rack and let cool before frosting.
• To make the frosting: Bring the heavy whipping cream to a gentle simmer. Add the chopped chocolate to a bowl with the butter and pour the hot cream over. Whisk the mixture until melted and smooth. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes until it thickens up.
• Frost the cupcakes with the chocolate frosting using an offset spatula. Top each with a raspberry.

CHIPOTLE DEVIL'S FOOD MINI CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place mini paper baking cup in each of 32 mini muffin cups. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full, about 1 tablespoon per cup.
• Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In small bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until mixed. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Spoon 2 tablespoons into one custard cup and 2 tablespoons into another custard cup; set aside. To remaining frosting, gradually beat in enough to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Frost cupcakes.
• Stir small amount of red food color into 2 tablespoons of the frosting, or until bright red. Stir 1 drop green food color into remaining 2 tablespoons frosting or until medium green. Spoon each colored frosting into a small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Cut 1/4-inch opening in one corner of red frosting bag. Pipe a small chili pepper on top of each cupcake, curving slightly and tapering to a soft point. Snip a tiny opening in one corner of the green frosting bag. Squiggle a little frosting at the wide end of the pepper for stem. Store in refrigerator.

DEVILISH CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Melt candy melts as directed on package; spoon into resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to pipe melted candy into devils' horn and tail shapes on parchment paper. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in vanilla and food color. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes. Insert horns and tail into frosting on each cupcake.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line 2 muffin tins with 16 paper muffin cases. Whisk together 175ml boiling water with the cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool until it reaches room temperature (put it in the freezer to speed it up), then whisk it with the eggs and vanilla.
• In an electric mixer, combine the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Mix on a low speed for 30 secs, then add one-third of the cocoa liquid and softened butter. Keep mixing on a low speed, then turn up to medium high and beat for 1 min. Add the remaining liquid in 3 batches, beating each one for 30 secs. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula and mix one more time. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full and bake for 20 mins, then remove and let them cool in the tin.
• To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese for 2-3 mins until creamy, then add the vanilla. While still mixing, pour in the sugar in 4 batches, beating each time to fully combine. Beat for a further min, then chill for 2 hrs.
• Swirl the frosting over the cooled cupcakes and decorate with silver balls or whatever you like.