Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

 

The weather is getting cool. Last night, I took out a blanket full with cotton. Not even august has passed yet. When the sun goes down, cool wind blows gently. As the night goes on, it becomes slightly cold. It's like autumn is coming. And actually, I like it.

 

The flavor of mint is so refreshing and cool, also, it goes very well with chocolate. Mint chocolate icecream is one my favorites, but today I made chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream.

For cupcake batter, I used chocolate genoise which contains less fat and sugar but more eggs than regular cupcake batter. They are very fluffy to be fitted in paper muffin cups, so it's difficult to maintain shape. But I like this soft and light cakes better than heavy cakes.

For richness, there are buttercream on top of the cake, flavored with mint extract and dark chocolate shavings for more chocolate flavor. I will receive autumn with this small and cool cupcakes to welcome.

 

MINT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

 

yields 6 cupcakes

 

Ingredients

 

for chocolate cupcakes

 

2 eggs

sugar 54g

a pinch of salt

cake flour 33g

cocoa powder 12g

butter, melted 15g

milk 5g

vanilla extract 1/4tsp

 

for mint butter cream

 

egg white 37g

water 17g

sugar 57g

butter 150g

mint extract

food coloring

 

grated dark chocolate

 

Instructions

 

To make chocolate cupcakes, combine eggs, sugar and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Place it over simmering water and whisk constantly with a balloon whisk to heat the mixture until warm.

Remove from heat. With electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until pale in color.

Sift in cake flour and cocoa powder, mix until well combined, but be careful not to deflate the batter.

Add melted butter, milk and vanilla to the batter, combine well.

Put it in a muffin pan using icecream scoop or spoon.

Bake in 180℃ oven for 14 minutes. Remove from the pan when it's our of the oven. Cool completely.

This mint butter cream contains italian meringue. Add sugar and water in a saucepan, bring it to 117℃.

Meanwhile, whip egg white with electric hand mixer or stand mixer until soft peak. Add hot sugar syrup into the meringue while whipping. Continue whipping until it cools down to room temperature.

While whipping, add soft diced butter little by little to the meringue and whip until it reaches full volume.

Add mint extract and food coloring as you like.

Pipe onto the cupcakes and sprinkle grated dark chocolate.