After Eight Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Who doesn't like mint and chocolate? This recipe tries to copy the 'after eight' mint, with the dark chocolate cake, and the secret mint fondant filling inside. Not really sure what to say about quantity though, for me it made 24 mini muffins and 4 regular ones. 

Ingredients

For the Sponge

50g Dark Cooking Chocolate

123g Butter

113g Sugar

2 Eggs, Beaten

50g Self-Raising Flour

1.5 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Pinch of Salt

Mint Filling

100g Icing Sugar

3/4tsp Peppermint Extract

Some Water

Mint Buttercream

60g Butter, Soft

250g Icing Sugar

1/2tsp Peppermint Extract

1/2tsp Vanilla Extract

Some Milk

Green Food Colouring

A few thin mint chocolate crisps

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Line/Grease a mini muffin or regular muffin tin. Put the chocolate and butter into a bain-marie and melt, stirring throughout. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Pour into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes. 

2. Beat the mix with a handheld or freestanding mixer for about 3 minutes, or until much lighter in colour, and gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well inbetween each addition for about 10 seconds. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold in until well incorporated. 

3. Fill the holes of the tins 3/4 of the way with mix, and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. They should have a brownie-like texture. In the oven they will rise, and then fall, so don't be alarmed if they do so. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

4. Whilst they are cooling, make the fondant filling. Mix the icing sugar, 1tbsp water and peppermint extract with a whisk until blended, then add about 1/2 tbsp more water and whisk until well incorporated. You are looking for a thick liquid texture. 

5. Once the cakes are fully cooled, using a knife, and not cutting too deep, cut a cylinder out of the top of a cupcake, and fill with fondant filling. Place the cylinder back in to the cupcake and set aside. Do the same for all.

6. For the icing, mix the sugar and soft butter together, then add the flavourings. Add 1 tbsp milk, and use a handheld whisk to bring it all together. Add another as much milk as necessary to form a quite thick icing, mixing inbetween additions, and add food colouring slowly to reach your desired colour. Pipe onto the cupcakes with a star nozzle. 

7. Cut the chocolate crisps into shards or rectangles, and stick on the top of the cake. 

Enjoy :)