[Recipe] Vanilla Cupcakes with Minty-Green Cream Cheese Frosting
A while back I made me some chocolate mint brownies, which turned out reasonably well. However, after making them I still had quite a bit in the way of creme-du-menthe liqueur left over. Ever since, I've been looking for minty recipes to use it up on. I decided, what the heck, why not try cupcakes? And as it happens, they turned out pretty damn well!
Vanilla Cupcaks with Minty-Green Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 3 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 4 egg whites from large eggs (or two whole large eggs)
* 1 cup skim milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
* 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup margarine, at room temperature
* a pinch of salt
* 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
* 3 teaspoons creme-du-menthe liqueur
* 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
* 1/4 teaspoon green food coloring
Method
Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pains with paper liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large mixing bowl. Combine margarine and sugar in electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, milk, and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add flour mix a bit at a time and blend together at high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Do not overfill. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.
5. Frost and decorate your cupcakes as desired.
Frosting:
1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together cream cheese, margarine, and salt until creamy. With mixer on low speed, beat in confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time so that the sugar doesn't fly all over the place. Increase speed to medium high, beating until light and fluffy. Add creme-du-menthe, peppermint extract, and green food coloring, beating until mixed.
2. This frosting is a touch on the soft side, so refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to firm it up before frosting cupcakes. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 1 day.
Tasty cupcakes, with just enough mint flavoring to add some zing. Alternatively, substitute in 2 teaspoons Triple Sec (or other orange-flavored liqueur), 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, and 1/8 teaspoon each of red and yellow food coloring to swap it from minty-green to orange-flavored frosting.
Originally crossposted from http://kitchenklutz.dreamwidth.org/13763.html. Please comment here if you first read the post here.
Vanilla Cupcaks with Minty-Green Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 3 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups white sugar
* 1/2 cup margarine
* 4 egg whites from large eggs (or two whole large eggs)
* 1 cup skim milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
* 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup margarine, at room temperature
* a pinch of salt
* 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
* 3 teaspoons creme-du-menthe liqueur
* 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
* 1/4 teaspoon green food coloring
Method
Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pains with paper liners.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large mixing bowl. Combine margarine and sugar in electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, milk, and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add flour mix a bit at a time and blend together at high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter. Do not overfill. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.
5. Frost and decorate your cupcakes as desired.
Frosting:
1. In a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together cream cheese, margarine, and salt until creamy. With mixer on low speed, beat in confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time so that the sugar doesn't fly all over the place. Increase speed to medium high, beating until light and fluffy. Add creme-du-menthe, peppermint extract, and green food coloring, beating until mixed.
2. This frosting is a touch on the soft side, so refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to firm it up before frosting cupcakes. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 1 day.
Tasty cupcakes, with just enough mint flavoring to add some zing. Alternatively, substitute in 2 teaspoons Triple Sec (or other orange-flavored liqueur), 2 teaspoons grated orange zest, and 1/8 teaspoon each of red and yellow food coloring to swap it from minty-green to orange-flavored frosting.
Originally crossposted from http://kitchenklutz.dreamwidth.org/13763.html. Please comment here if you first read the post here.