Nanas Chocolate Cupcakes With Mint Frosting Food

NANA'S CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH MINT FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Mix cocoa and boiling water until smooth; cool completely., Beat butter and sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with applesauce, beating well after each addition. Beat in cocoa mixture., Fill prepared muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., Beat confectioners' sugar, butter, cream and extract until smooth. If desired, tint frosting green with food coloring. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread over cupcakes. If desired, top with candies.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH NEAPOLITAN FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup water and the oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add 1 tablespoon water; beat to the desired consistency. Remove half of the frosting to a bowl. To the remaining half, add the red food coloring and strawberry preserves; beat until incorporated.
• Fit a piping bag with a star tip. Set the bag, tip-side down, in a large cup and fill with both frostings, keeping each color separate in one half of the bag. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

MINT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick liners. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling; pour over the cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, flour mixture and mint chocolates.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds of the way. Bake until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the melted butter and cocoa powder in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; add the confectioners' sugar, marshmallow cream and milk and beat until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 4 more minutes. Set aside at room temperature until thickened, about 1 hour.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip; pipe onto the cupcakes. Top with nonpareils and/or coarse sugar.

NANA'S CHOCOLATE MINT MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour an 8" cake tin, set oven at 200degC (400degF).
• Sift flour and salt, divide into halves.
• Cream butter and sugar until light; add eggs separately, beating well, divide.
• To one bowl add flour, cocoa mixture and fold gently.
• Fold remaining flour and peppermint essence into other bowl.
• Spoon half white mixture into prepared tin, top with chocolate mixture and then remaining white, smooth top and run knife through in a figure eight.
• Bake 50 minutes.
• Icing; Melt chopped chocolate over pan of hot water(or very low in microwave), add cold water, butter and icing sugar and stir until smooth and glossy - use immediately.

ANDES MINT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325*F Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Mix to incorporate. Add water, oil, vanilla, sour cream and eggs. Mix well until mixture is smooth. Using a large 3 Tablespoon cookie scoop, fill each liner 3/4 full with cake batter. Bake for 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Once cupcakes are cooled, make frosting. Using a stand or hand mixer, blend butter until smooth & creamy. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Add peppermint and food coloring and mix well. Add heavy whipping cream and blend well until full mixed in. Fill pipping bag and pipe onto cake or cupcakes. Top with a chocolate Andes mint for decoration.

NANA'S CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine chocolate and butter in large saucepan.
• Cook over low heat until melted; stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat; cool.
• Sift sugar; add to chocolate alternately with milk and vanilla.
• Beat at high speed until of spreading consistency.

MINT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin tin with greased liners.
• Combine boiling water and cocoa powder in a small bowl; whisk until smooth. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar in a large bowl; beat together with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Fold peppermint candies into the batter.
• Scoop batter into the muffin tin.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes are firm to the touch or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and set on a rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
• Combine shortening and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add peppermint extract. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in milk, a tablespoon at a time, until buttercream is desired consistency. Fold in food coloring a little at a time to reach desired shade of green.
• Transfer buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip. Frost each cupcake with buttercream.