Mint Aero Cupcakes (Choc Mint)

Mint Aero cupcakes, made from scratch. Rich and ultra-moist chocolate cupcakes, piled high with a creamy mint buttercream frosting and chunks of Aero chocolate. Chocolate mint lovers, this recipe is for you!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make – no fancy techniques or equipment needed. The cupcake batter and the mint buttercream are super easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool so you can frost them!
• So delicious – chocolate + mint is such a classic flavour combination. You’ll love everything about them from the super moist chocolatey base to the creamy mint frosting. If you have mint chocolate chip ice cream, you will adore these cupcakes!
• Make ahead – the cupcakes can be made ahead and frozen, ready to be frosted and served at parties, birthdays, special occasions or for afternoon tea.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Plain flour – also called all-purpose flour. The structure of the cupcakes.

• Cocoa powder – use Dutch process cocoa for a rich chocolate flavour, or unsweetened cocoa powder if this is what you have.

• Baking powder – the leavening agent, for lift and rise.

• Sugar – use regular white, granulated sugar.

• Egg – one large egg, to bind the mixture and provide moisture. Use free-range where possible.

• Canola oil – to make the cupcakes super moist. I use canola oil, but you can use any other type of mild, neutral-tasting oil like vegetable oil.

• Vanilla extract – to bring out the chocolate flavour in the cupcakes.

• Coffee – is entirely optional, but a little espresso or instant coffee mixed with the boiling water really intensifies the chocolate flavour of the cupcakes. Don’t worry, you won’t taste coffee in the finished product.

• Mint extract – or essence allows you to control the strength of the peppermint flavour in the buttercream. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and adjust, to taste. If using peppermint oil, you only need a tiny amount as the flavour is quite intense.

• Butter – use unsalted butter for the buttercream. Salted butter will add a strange flavour to the sweet peppermint. Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature (not melted) to be able to beat without lumps.

• Aero mint chocolate – or any of your favourite mint chocolate (Peppermint Crisp, Cadbury, after dinner mints) or even crushed candy canes or mini Oreo cookies for decorating.

Step by step instructions

**Full ingredient list and detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1 – Make the cupcake batter;

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt) in a bowl.

Add the egg, vanilla, canola oil and milk and whisk until just combined.

Carefully add ½ cup of boiling water or ½ cup liquid that includes boiling water and a shot of espresso coffee (or 1 teaspoon instant coffee). Gently whisk until smooth.

Use an ice cream scoop to evenly divide batter into a cupcake tin lined with paper cases.

Step 2 – Bake;

Bake the cupcakes until domed, fluffy and completely cooked through. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Step 3 – Make the mint buttercream frosting;

Using electric beaters, beat the softened butter until pale and fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes.

Alternately add the icing sugar and milk and continue to beat until all of the icing sugar is gone and the mixture is soft and fluffy. Add the peppermint extract to taste. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and add more, if needed.

Use a piping bag to frost the cupcakes and decorate them with any mint chocolate, sprinkles, chocolate chips or decorations you prefer.

Expert tips

• Don’t overfill the cupcake cases. This is important, or the cupcake batter may spill out over the sides of the cases when baking. Fill them to ⅔ full, no more. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes when made in a standard cupcake tin (⅓ cup capacity with paper cases slightly higher). Adjustments should be made if using a smaller or larger tin.
• Any leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for around 1-2 weeks.
• Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. As the buttercream is butter-based, it will melt and slide right off if added while the cupcakes are hot!
• To achieve the same frosting result as pictured, I used a Wilton’s 1M piping tip.
• The batter for these cupcakes is slightly runnier than regular cupcake batter. This is completely normal and everything will come together in the oven.
• Use a little green food colouring to achieve the minty-green colour in the buttercream frosting. Use a natural food colouring to avoid artificial colours and additives, or leave it out entirely if preferred and decorate as normal.
• If the buttercream frosting is too thick, adjust by adding a little more milk until you reach your desired consistency.
• Sift the icing sugar to avoid lumps in your icing.
• The coffee used in the cupcakes is entirely optional, but adds another note to the rich chocolate flavour (you won’t taste coffee in the final result). A small teaspoon or ½ teaspoon of instant coffee mixed with the boiling water is all that is needed. If using a shot of espresso coffee, be sure to adjust the amount of boiling water you add to the batter, to avoid adding too much liquid. The total should be ½ cup.

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Mint Aero Cupcakes (Choc Mint)

Mint Aero cupcakes, made from scratch. Rich and ultra-moist chocolate cupcakes, piled high with a creamy mint buttercream frosting and chunks of Aero chocolate. Chocolate mint lovers, this recipe is for you!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: baking, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Australian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12

Calories: 469kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients  

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For the cupcakes

• ▢ 1 cup plain flour 150 grams
• ▢ 1 cup sugar 230 grams
• ▢ ½ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 large egg at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup canola oil
• ▢ ½ cup milk
• ▢ ½ cup boiling water
• ▢ 1 small teaspoon instant coffee OPTIONAL. Or use a shot of espresso and add less boiling water (to make up to ½ cup total).

For the mint buttercream frosting

• ▢ 250 grams unsalted butter softened at room temperature
• ▢ 4 cups icing sugar confectioners sugar, sifted
• ▢ 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• ▢ 2-3 drops green food colouring optional
• ▢ 1-3 tablespoons milk or more or less, to reach the desired frosting consistency

To decorate

• ▢ mint Aero chocolate broken into pieces, or any other mint chocolate to decorate.

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 180C° (350F). Line a standard (⅓ cup capacity) 12-hole cupcake tray with paper cases.
• Add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt) into a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the egg, vanilla, oil and milk and whisk until combined.
• Carefully add the boiling water and coffee (coffee is optional) and stir slowly until the water is completely incorporated into the mixture.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 patty cases (about ⅔ full).
• Bake for around 15 minutes, or until cupcakes have cooked completely.
• Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting

• Beat the softened butter with hand-held electric beaters on high speed until pale and creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar (½ cup at a time) alternating with a little milk, until the icing sugar is all gone and the mixture is smooth and fluffy. You can adjust the consistency by adding more milk (to make it thinner) if needed.
• Add peppermint extract to taste (start with 1 teaspoon and adjust from there), along with a few drops of green food colouring (optional) and beat to combine.
• Pipe the buttercream frosting over the top of the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with Aero pieces or your favourite choc mint treats.

Notes

1. Mint extract – or essence allows you to control the strength of the peppermint flavour in the buttercream. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and adjust, to taste. If using peppermint oil, you only need a tiny amount as the flavour is quite intense.
2. Don’t overfill the cupcake cases. This is important, or the cupcake batter may spill out over the sides of the cases when baking. Fill them to ⅔ full, no more. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes when made in a standard cupcake tin (⅓ cup capacity with paper cases slightly higher). Adjustments should be made if using a smaller or larger tin.
3. Any leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for around 1-2 weeks.
4. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting. As the buttercream is butter-based, it will melt and slide right off if added while the cupcakes are hot!
5. To achieve the same result as pictured, I used a Wilton’s 1M piping tip.
6. The batter for these cupcakes is slightly runnier than regular cupcake batter. This is completely normal and everything will come together in the oven.
7. Use a little green food colouring to achieve the minty-green colour in the buttercream frosting. Use a natural food colouring to avoid artificial colours and additives, or leave it out entirely if preferred and decorate as normal.
8. If the buttercream frosting is too thick, adjust by adding a little more milk until you reach your desired consistency.
9. Sift the icing sugar to avoid lumps in your icing.
10. The coffee used in the cupcakes is entirely optional, but adds another note to the rich chocolate flavour (you won’t taste coffee in the final result). A small teaspoon or ½ teaspoon of instant coffee mixed with the boiling water is all that is needed. If using a shot of espresso coffee, be sure to adjust the amount of boiling water you add to the batter, to avoid adding too much liquid.
11. The cupcakes are best eaten in the first 1-2 days, but will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
12. Storage; They are best kept in an air tight container at room temperature. While they can be kept in the fridge, the buttercream will harden and they should be brought back to room temperature before eating.
13. Freezing; The un-iced cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. I recommend wrapping them first and then storing them in an airtight container, to prevent freezer-burn. Thaw at room temperature before frosting and eating.
14. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the batter and frosting being divided into 12 cupcakes, with one cupcake being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings served with the cupcakes.
15. This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 57g | Vitamin A: 564IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in September 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in June 2022.