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mint aero cupcakes with green frosting on a white table
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5 from 5 votes

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!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Cooling Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: baking, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Australian
Servings: 12
Calories: 469kcal
Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

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