When I announced I was bringing Grasshopper Cupcakes to my rehearsal on Monday, the initial reception was mixed. One person asked if they were based on cookies….what? No. (I have since learned that there is a grasshopper cookie.) Another friend asked what exactly made them “grasshoppery,” subtly asking me if there were insect parts in the cupcake. Sadly, no, although I would totally try that. They are simply delicious chocolate cupcakes topped with a fluffy frosting, liberally spiked with creme de menthe. No insect-based protein, just sugary goodness.
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Andes Mints: the perfect candy.
I have great memories of Andes Mints. Like every true Midwesterner, my secret shame is that I have always loved the Olive Garden. When we would go there when I was a little kid, I would pretty much just eat the breadsticks and all of the Andes Mints that they would bring at the end of the meal.
A truly balanced diet.
I love Andes Mints, and everything else that has that chocolate/mint flavor combo. Frango mints at Christmas? Yes please. Peppermint Patties at Halloween? Yep.
It is surprising, therefore, that I had never had creme de menthe. A Grasshopper-themed dessert is an obvious choice for my Boozy Bakes series, but I’ve been dancing around it for a while. This hesitance was just because I was unfamiliar with the liqueur. After tasting this frosting, I wish I had made it sooner, because it tastes just like an Andes Mint….perfectly refreshing to break the heat.
I bought some creme de menthe to incorporate into this dessert, but I almost gave up when I saw the bottle. This liquor looks really silly to me. It is so…green. I mean, come on. Look at this stuff.
It’s kind of like kryptonite. However, I had already bought the stuff, so I decided to take a sip.
The verdict: I love it. It’s like an altoid in liqueur form: surprisingly strong and impactful. I didn’t mix it with ice cream to make the fancy version of the Grasshopper, but I did do a version with cream and a little bit of chocolate liqueur, and it is darn good.
Grasshopper Cupcakes: the elements.
These grasshopper cupcakes are reaaallly simple. Honestly, I mean it this time. No filling, just the best moist chocolate cupcake and a minty frosting.
For the chocolate cupcake base, I started with the recipe for my Baileys Mudslide Cupcakes. However, I knew I wasn’t going to have a creamy filling for these Grasshopper Cupcakes, so I threw in some sour cream to help keep them moist. The result was a delicious chocolate cake that stays moist and has a powerful flavor without being overly sweet.
Side note: Aren’t these flowery cupcake liners cute? My friend Jordan gave them to me, and they are a good choice for chocolate cupcakes, which can rise a whole heck of a lot. You can buy them online if you like them, I’ve had a lot of trouble finding them in shops.
This frosting is super delicious and very easy. It is a sort of hybrid between a buttercream and a cream cheese frosting. There’s not enough cream cheese to really taste it, but it does add a slightly tangy backdrop that is needed to balance out the sweetness and the strength of the mint flavor.
Creme de menthe is strongly flavored and colored, so it is all you need to bring this frosting together. No food coloring or mint extract required!
The final element is the perfect Andes Mint on top. I took these to rehearsal for my fellow singers to try, and I swear every single one of them ate the mint first, swirling it around in the frosting and savoring that chocolate/mint flavor.
To give you an idea of how easy this recipe is, unwrapping the sixteen Andes Mints was definitely the most time-consuming part.
Big things coming on the blog…
I’ve been increasingly encouraged by small gains in my blog traffic, and it has kept me motivated to keep working hard. I’m still trying to step up the professionalism of the site itself, and I’m working with a nice gentleman named Ron to give us a behind-the-scenes tech make-over. (Ron, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry I’m so technologically incompetent.) This will make your reading experience better (hopefully!), and provide a lot of features that I haven’t been able to incorporate yet. That includes a “Yum” button, which will let you save recipes you like on Yummly, which is sort of like an online recipe box. I use Yummly a lot, and you guys might like it too, check it out.
I’m also continuing to focus on Pinterest, and that has been really fun. My followers are up to nearly a thousand, and I have found that it is a great place to find ideas and connect with other bloggers. Please follow me if you haven’t done so already!
There’s a new obsession in the Day house, and it is ROYAL ICING COOKIES. I’ve made so many, I just can’t stop myself. I am working up a tutorial for some easy decorating techniques; that should be finished by the end of the summer!
Lastly, I’ve been brainstorming recipes, of course. Coming up next week there will be a chocolate cookie dough and banana cake, and I’ve been working on a mimosa whoopie pie that is almost ready….stay tuned for that!
Refreshing and Simple Grasshopper Cupcakes!
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
Cupcakes30
minutes18
minutes300
kcalTender chocolate sponge topped with creme de menthe buttercream!
Ingredients
- For the chocolate cake:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
50 g cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot coffee
130 grams AP flour
175 grams granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the creme de menthe buttercream:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
225 grams (or two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of salt
5 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup creme de menthe
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare your cupcake trays with liners and cooking spray. (This recipe makes approximately sixteen cupcakes.)
- Put your chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Zap your coffee in the microwave until it is quite hot, and then pour it over the chocolate. Allow it to sit without stirring for about sixty seconds, add the cocoa powder, sugar, and salt, and whisk vigorously to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the oil, mix to combine. Add the vanilla, vinegar, and sour cream, whisking well to combine. Sprinkle the baking soda over the mixture, breaking up any clumps, and add half the flour, whisk until just combined. Add the remaining flour, whisk until just combined. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling about half full. These will rise quite a bit. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Make your frosting. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese, beat until just combined. Add half of the sugar and the salt, and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining sugar and the creme de menthe, beating until light and fluffy and well-mixed, about 2 minutes. Add more sugar or creme de menthe to adjust the taste and consistency.
- Smear the frosting on the cooled cupcakes or pipe it on, whichever floats your boat. Pour yourself a drink, grab a cupcake, and enjoy!
