The power couple of mint and chocolate give these cupcakes a true flavor of the season. Top each cupcake with holiday sprinkles for extra holiday appeal. If you can't find the mint cream truffles I use in the blog post, peppermint patties could be used instead - or Andes mints!Double the buttercream recipe for extra-tall frosting, like the cupcakes pictured in this post.
1/2cupmixed redwhite and green nonpareils and sprinkles
24mint crème trufflesAlter Eco recommended
Instructions
Cupcakes
Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
Using an electric mixer beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and eggs; beat until lightened in color. Add the cocoa, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt; mix well.
Beat in the flour in 3 additions alternately with the sour cream, begin and end with flour.
Add the hot coffee and mix until a smooth thin batter forms.
Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed in their centers. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Make holes in the centers of the cupcakes using a serrated knife or cupcake corer.
Filling and frosting
Make the filling: Place the marshmallow cream in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until softened. Add the extract and stir until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with the end snipped and pipe a small amount of cream inside the cupcakes. Alternatively you may spoon the filling into the cores.
Make the buttercream: In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the butter and confectioners’ sugar on low speed until combined. Beat in cream a little at a time until thinned, then mix on high 3 minutes. Add mint extract and beat again. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch decorator tip. Have sprinkles ready to hand. Pipe a large swirl of buttercream on cupcakes one at a time, pausing to add sprinkles just after you’ve piped the frosting onto a cupcake. Add a mint cream truffle on top of each cake.
Notes
Brush truffles with a tiny amount of corn syrup to make nonpareils stick to the truffles.
Keyword alter eco chocolates, marshmallow frosting, mint truffles