Mint chocolate cupcakes

Unfortunately these cupcakes turned out like my day. Not quite as great as I had hoped. I'm pretty disappointed too because I had really high hopes. For both my day and the cupcakes!

The cupcakes didn't taste bad, they were just really dry. I even added a little bit of buttermilk to the second batch but they still were not anywhere near being the delicious moist cupcake I had envisioned. Although the cream cheese frosting was every bit as good as I had hoped.

I did use light sour cream instead of regular which may have affected them a little, but I still think they would have been dry. Anny suggestions on what to do different? I really do want to try them again.

Cupcake Ingredients:

8 Tbsp (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter

1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Optional Butter cream Frosting Ingredients:

8 Tbsp butter, room temperature (1 stick, 4 ounces)

1 Tbsp milk

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 Tbsp butter, room temperature (1/2 stick, 2 ounces)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

Fresh mint for garnish

Method Cupcakes:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining it with cupcake liners. Use a double boiler or add an inch or two of water to a medium sized saucepan and place a metal bowl over it, bringing the water to a simmer. Add butter (cut into chunks), chocolate, cocoa to the bowl. As the butter and chocolate melt, whisk until the ingredients are well combined and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to touch.

2 In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

3 In a large bowl (can use a mixer), beat the eggs. Add the salt, the sugar, the mint extract and beat until well combined. Slowly add in the chocolate butter mixture and beat until combined.

4 Add in half of the sifted flour mixture, mix to combine. Mix in the sour cream. Mix in the remaining flour mixture.

5 Spoon the batter evenly into the lined muffin cups. Place in oven in middle rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6 Let cool in muffin tin on a rack for 15 minutes. Then gently remove cupcakes from the tin and let cool completely before frosting.Use frosting of choice, flavored with a little mint extract. Garnish with a little fresh mint.

Recipes for simple butter cream or cream cheese frosting follow.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Frosting

1 In an electric mixer, beat the butter (if making butter cream) or butter and cream cheese (if making cream cheese frosting) at medium speed until creamy. Beat in milk (if making butter cream) and mint extract.

2 Slowly add in the powdered sugar on low speed, stopping every now and then to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Taste and add more mint extract if it isn't minty enough for you, or powdered sugar if it isn't sweet enough for you.