Can I substitute buttermilk?

Regular milk will not produce the same light and fluffy texture. However, you can make homemade buttermilk by adding 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Then, pour room temperature dairy milk into the container to reach the 1/2 cup mark. Finally, mix the milk and lemon juice or vinegar together before letting it sit for 5 minutes.

How full should my cupcake liners be?

The liners should be almost full or at least 3/4 full when you fill them with batter. This creates a gorgeous dome when baking!

How long do these cupcakes last?

When tightly covered to preserve freshness, these cupcakes will stay good at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes - Sweets by Elise

Description

These Mint Chocolate Cupcakes have a moist and fluffy chocolate cupcake base with a smooth, velvety mint buttercream frosting! They’re quick and easy to make, gorgeous for any occasion, and are sure to impress a crowd!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cupcakes

1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup (85g) sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup (120g) buttermilk, room temperature
3/4 cup (105g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting

1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups (300g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons (30g) milk
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
green food dye

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line your 12-count muffin tray with liners.
In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, room temperature sour cream, and room temperature buttermilk together. Whisk until smooth.
Add your properly measured all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Mix with a whisk only until you see the dry flour pieces disappear. Do not overmix past this point to avoid dense cupcakes.
Then, transfer your batter to the 12 liners, adding about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter to each cavity. The cupcakes should be 3/4 full.
Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes look slightly shiny, the centers look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool before decorating.

For the Frosting

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth. This should be about 2 minutes of mixing.
Pour milk, peppermint extract, and green dye into the frosting and beat on high speed for at least 3 minutes to create a light frosting. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or a zippable plastic bag with the corner snipped off for greater control when frosting. Decorate as desired.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container or tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Notes

Measuring Flour: To avoid dry and dense cupcakes, measure flour with a kitchen scale to 105g exactly or use a spoon to transfer flour from your container to your measuring cups before using a knife to level.

Mixer: I recommend using a mixer to make your frosting. Since you will be using cool butter in the frosting, it will be incredibly time-consuming and difficult to mix the frosting by hand.

Storing: These cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container or tightly covered at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. To freeze, place the cooled cupcakes, uncovered, in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then, wrap them individually in cling wrap and freeze. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Keywords: Mint Chocolate Cupcakes, Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, Mint Buttercream