Baking Mondays - K is for Kit Kat Mint Cupcakes

Chocolate mint cupcake topped with mint swiss meringue buttercream, sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles and a Kit Kat

This week Kit Kats won the poll - but what do you with such a simple chocolate? I mean all it is made of is wafer and chocolate - not exactly awe inspiring ingredients. So I decided to go with one of the new Kit Kat flavours - mint. I decided on the cupcake recipe and then trotted off to the shops to get my ingredients, and then guess what? There was no mint Kit Kats - doh! I still made my chocolate mint cupcakes and just topped them with normal Kit Kats. So not the most original cupakes - but still incredibly yummy!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from AllRecipes.com)
Makes 22

220g plain flour
45g cocoa powder
7g bi-carb soda
6g salt
300g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
8 ml vanilla extract
355 ml milk
1/2 tsp peppermint essence

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius. Line 2 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake liners.
   
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt, set aside.
   
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and peppermint essence.
   
4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk. Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, mix on high speed of an electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes.
   
5. Divide the batter amongst the cupcake liners.
   
6. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Mint Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Follow the recipe for Almond Swiss Meringue Buttercream but replace the almond essence with peppermint essence and omit the vanilla extract.


The ratings?

Me - 9/10 - yummy!! Cake was moist, had a great texture and tasted great. SMBC was fantastic as usual.
Mat - 10/10 - fantastic, not too sweet - just right.