Andes Mint Cupcakes

I have some delicious mint chocolate cupcakes to share, along with a simple car themed decor for your favorite BMW fan!  Also, I am advertising an upcoming give away.  I appreciate all the comments and likes on my Facebook page recently. I created it less than two weeks ago and am already at 50+ likes! I love sharing ideas and have discovered other interesting cake/cookie decor pages through visitors to my page!  When my Facebook page hits 100 likes, I plan on having a giveaway of one of my favorite cupcake books.  So feel free to like my page and share with your friends! More details to come!

I'm taking a break from my fall themed desserts for a couple posts about special treats I am making for my husband.  His birthday is this weekend and I decided to not only make him a special cake, but also cupcakes! Be on the look out next week for details and tutorials on his special sports themed cake!

But first up is a birthday treat that represents one of his favorite candies - the Andes mint. My husband and I love them! Even though we enjoy the food at Olive Garden, the Andes mint at the end of dinner is still his favorite part of the restaurant! I experimented a little with this one instead of using recipes online. I was worried the flavor would end up being too weak or strong. In the end, though, we think it tastes very close to eating an Andes mint!

I started with a chocolate cupcake, using the Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate cake recipe.

Cupcake ingredients (approx 30 cupcakes):

• 2 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Cupcake Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine all dry ingredients
3. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla into batter.
4. Beat batter at medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in boiling water  - batter will be thin.
6. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
7. Fill liners 3/4 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18-22 minutes.
9. Let cool before icing

While the cupcakes were baking, I started on the next part.  I decided that I wanted to make an icing AND a filling for the cupcake. Both are based on my buttercream recipe with tweaks made to get a great mint flavor.  First, I started on the filling.

Andes mint filling ingredients:

• 30-40 Andes mints 
• 1/4 cup Crisco
• 1/4 cup butter (softened)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 tsp milk
• 1/2 lb powdered sugar

Andes mint filling directions:

1. Chop up Andes mints using Ninja or any type of food processor. I left some small chunks of Andes in the filling.
2. Beat Crisco, butter, vanilla, peppermint extract, and milk until combined.
3. Beat in powdered sugar. Add additional milk if too dry.
4. Fold in Andes mint to taste.  I knew my husband would like a very minty taste, but you can adjust as needed.  Just fold in portions at a time until you get the perfect minty taste.

Next, I created a mint buttercream. When I first made it, I thought the flavor wasn't real strong. But when I combined the three components, it was a great compliment.

Mint buttercream ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 8 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/2 lb powdered sugar
• milk (if needed)

Andes mint filling directions:

1. Beat Crisco, butter, vanilla, and peppermint extract until combined.
2. Beat in powdered sugar. Add additional milk if too dry (or peppermint extract if you want a stronger flavor).

Directions to finish assembling the cupcakes:

•  I cored the cupcake using a knife. I don't have an actual cupcake corer, but I just carve a cone shaped hole out of the cupcake.  

• Next, I filled the cupcakes with the Andes mint filling.  I just put it in a piping bag with the end cut off.  I didn't use a tip, as the Andes mint chunks can stop up the tip.

• I wanted to  replace the part of the cupcake that was removed to keep enough of the cake flavor.  I cut down the portion of the cake.  I then replaced the portion, gently pressing on the cake to keep in place.

• I finished it up by piping the buttercream on top using the Wilton 1M tip. 

I definitely wanted to decorate the cupcakes with something just for him.  I'm making a UK Wildcats themed cake, so I wanted to branch out for the cupcakes.  I decided to go for a car themed, specifically BMW.  My husband loves cars, particularly his BMW.  This BMW symbol decor is super easy to make, and pops on the cupcakes. 

• I started with two balls of fondant - one left white and one dyed blue.  I again used the Wilton food gels to color the fondant. Make sure you knead the color all the way through to get a true color throughout.  
• I then cut 3 white circles and 3 blue circles.  This will make 6 BMW symbols, as they use 1/2 white and 1/2 blue.

  

• Next I cut the circles into 4 equal pieces.  Make sure you cover the pieces you aren't working on to keep them from drying out.

•  Next you just assemble two blue and two white pieces, alternating them.  You can either put some gum glue between the portions, or just leave as is.  I didn't attach them, I just lightly pressed the four pieces into the buttercream and it held in place.

Hope you enjoy the easy decor for your favorite BMW fan and the minty chocolate cupcakes!  I love to hear comments about if you try any of my recipes.  Feel free to leave a comment, or post on my Facebook page.  Thanks for checking these out!