chocolate cupcakes with mint frosting

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm not Irish, but I love the color green and getting rid of snakes, so I'm game to celebrate.

Growing up, my mom would dye our breakfast of scrambled eggs and milk green, which, in retrospect, couldn't have looked appetizing to anyone over ten. But my four brothers and I thought it was the shizz. Sitting down to an unnaturally colored breakfast was novel and exciting, and any one of us would have sworn eggs tasted exponentially better when they were green instead of yellow.

I tried to make green eggs for Adam this morning, but he would have none of it. Bah humbug.

So making something else green today was kind of mandatory, and vegetables or salad couldn't possibly serve as the Special Green Food Item—they're already green, and we eat them all the time. Enter chocolate cupcakes, which are always appropriate, and frosting, which lends itself well to festive decorations and colors.

There is coffee in this cake, which seems unusual, but keeps the cake unbelievably moist without imparting a strong flavor of its own. It also enhances the chocolate and tempers the sweetness. Trust me, I've served this cake to people who would never touch a cup of coffee, but have scraped their plates and helped themselves to another slice of this cake. Don't skip it, even if you've sworn a blood oath to hate the vile brew til the day you die. I won't tell.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Frosting 
Cake is not adapted in the slightest from Ina Garten, because it's perfect
Frosting adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Makes 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:

Butter, for pans
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup good unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot, freshly brewed coffee

*Pro tip: if you don't have buttermilk, put 1 tbsp lemon juice in a 1-cup measure, then fill with regular milk. Let sit for 5 minutes. I probably use this method more than I buy buttermilk, and it works just as well, I promise. 

Frosting:

1 cup milk
3 tbsp flour
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp mint extract (not peppermint, because then your frosting will taste like toothpaste)
Green food coloring, optional

That chocolate tho.

First, make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter two muffin tins, and fill with parchment paper liners.

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, being sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the coffee, continuing to scrape the bowl, until just combined. At this point the batter will be incredibly liquidy—don't panic! Scoop into lined tins, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for 23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes, then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

So beat it. Just beat it (beat it).  

Then make the frosting:

Heat milk and flour in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking frequently to keep lumps from forming, until mixture is thick and bubbly. Turn heat to low and cook for 2 additional minutes. Set aside, cover, and let cool to room temperature. It will be very thick.

Beat butter, sugar, and extracts til fluffy. Add spoonfuls of the cooled milk mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. After it's all incorporated, add as much or as little green food color as you'd like, and mix one last time to combine.

I used 6 drops green and it turned out a lovely, subtle pale green, but feel free to add more if you want a brighter color.

Pipe or spread frosting onto cooled cupcakes and decorate. Share finished cupcakes with your favorite leprechauns.

Happy cupcake baking!