Mint Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Preheat your oven to 175 C (350 F).

In a bowl, using an an electric whisk, whisk together the egg and the caster sugar until smooth and there are no lumps left.

Add the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt) and mix into the batter until well combined, making sure there are no pockets of flour or cocoa. Stir in the cream.

Either grease a cupcake tin or line it with cupcake cases. If you want to be particular, add about 1/4 of cup of mixture to each cupcake case.

Bake your cupcakes for 15-18 minutes. Allow them to sit in the tin for about 30 minutes until cool, then transfer them to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, set up a double boiler: place a heat-resistant glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering water. Add the egg whites, caster sugar, and salt to the bowl.

Whisk the meringue mixture occasionally over the simmering water until it reaches 160 F, or until the sugar has completely melted and the mixture is hot to the touch — just about too hot to hold your finger in. Once it's reached this stage, transfer the mixture to an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on a low setting until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch, about 10-15 minutes.

Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to whisk the meringue until you achieve stiff peaks. Once the peaks are firm, add the butter a little at a time (about 2-3 tablespoons), allowing each addition to be fully incorporated before adding more. If the mixture appears to curdle, simply continue mixing on high speed; it will eventually come together.

Once the icing is smooth, add 2-3 teaspoons of peppermint extract and tint it mint green with food coloring. Then, pipe or spread the icing onto your cooled cupcakes.