Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Along with the raspberry-vanilla cupcakes I took to my sister's college last Saturday, I also recreated one of her favorite ice cream flavors in cupcake form-mint chocolate chip. I had made chocolate chip frosting before, so I knew I wanted to add mint (and a bit of green dye) to that for this cupcake's frosting. I've been experimenting with a few different chocolate cake recipes, but I decided to try the chocolate buttermilk recipe I saw listed on Martha Stewart when looking for something else. I tend to think that cupcakes made with buttermilk (like the vanilla and red velvet recipes I use) come out better in general, and was hoping this chocolate recipe would be a winner. In the end, however, I just didn't love it. It wasn't a bad recipe, but I think the one I've used from chockylit's Cupcake Blog found here is much better. The Martha one just didn't rise that much and was much drier than I would have expected from a buttermilk cupcake.

Another thing I realized while baking these is that I really don't like the foil cupcake liners. I had bought them for some S'mores cupcakes this past summer, and hate them then, but ran out of paper liners this time and had to use them. They separate from the cupcake too easily and get all out of shape.

Here's the recipe for the frosting (frosts 16):
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. mint extract
1/2 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
3 T whole milk
1/2 bag Nestle's mini chocolate chips, semisweet

Directions:
1. Cream together butter and cream cheese until fluffy
2. Add in mint extract. Mix well.
3. Add confectioner's sugar slowly, beating well.
4. Add milk as needed
5. Add 2-3 drops green food coloring
6. Once frosting is mixed properly, stir in chocolate chips

Apparently Victoria's Secret gift boxes fit 16 cupcakes perfectly