Sunday, December 02, 2012

Spiced Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

We started with this recipe.  But we weren't too crazy about the egg nog and we wanted to de-gluten-ize the recipe.  So we picked up some King Arthur Gluten Free mult-purpose flour and gave it a shot.

Note that when you de-gluten-ize a recipe, the product tends to stick to the pan - a LOT.  I used my silicone muffin pans, with non-stick spray and that worked well.  They stuck, but not too bad.

Also, baking time was significantly longer.  I did 12 minutes, then another 3 and another 3 and another 3 before they were done (using the toothpick method).

We decided to make the buttercream - sans egg nog - and decide on a flavor later.  We decided on 1 tsp of peppermint and just a bit of green food coloring.

The end result was very good.  Moist cupcake with a good chocolate flavor and the mint was just right - not overpowering.


Spiced Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

Yield: 18 cupcakes

Tender chocolate cupcakes spiced with cinnamon and cloves topped with rich buttercream flavored with eggnog. A perfect treat for the holiday season.

For the spiced chocolate cupcakes:
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons hot coffee
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup sugar
3/8 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the eggnog buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

To make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners or grease and flour.

In a small bowl, whisk together the hot coffee and cocoa powder until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool slightly.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg, egg yolk, and sugar on medium high speed until pale yellow in color. Add the yogurt and mix until combined, followed by the vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture all at once and mix until combined. Add the cocoa mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, and mint (You can add some food coloring too if you want), mixing on medium high speed until desired consistency is reached. Increase speed to high and beat for a few minutes until smooth.

Frost cupcakes with the buttercream. The cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container and will keep at room temperature for several days and about a week in the fridge.