Skip to Content

Thin Mint Cupcakes

These Thin Mint Cupcakes are by far the most decadent, minty, chocolaty cupcakes I’ve ever had!

It’s totally that time of year… GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME! I can’t resist.  I bought 10 boxes.  Yes.  You read that correctly.  10 boxes. 2 to eat (with in the first 24  hours). 8 to bake with. Yeah… you read that correctly.  8 boxes to bake with.

Last year I made Samoa Cupcakes and Tagalong Brownies.  This year… I started with Thin Mint Cupcakes.  These cupcakes are a super decadent chocolate cake filled with a whipped chocolate ganache topped with a mint buttercream.  Serious amounts of NOM NOM NOM.

PS…. This is my new favorite chocolate cake recipe.  I know it’s got beer in it… but I’m totally using it for every chocolate cake I make from now on!!

And this is what you do when you have left over peppermint buttercream.  NOM NOM NOM

Thin Mint Cupcakes

Thin Mint Cupcakes

Yield: 2 dozen
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

  • 1 bottle of Guinness Stout Beer
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp espresso powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sour cream

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp corn syrup
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Bean Peppermint Buttercream

  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 lbs powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup Madagascar Vanilla Bean Cream
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • pinch of salt
  • Wilton Green Food Gel

Assembly

  • Thin Mint Cookies
  • Peppermint Buttercream
  • Chocolate Shavings
  • Piping bag & large round tip
  • Apple corer

Instructions

Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Add the vanilla beer, whisk together and heat until it just begins to simmer. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder and heat until it just begins to bubble up. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.
  4. In the meantime, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sour cream. Slowly pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture. NOTE: DO THIS SLOW! You don't want to cook the eggs, so start pouring a very small amount of the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture... DO NOT DUMP IT IN ALL AT ONCE.
  5. In three parts, add the flour mixture to the chocolate/egg mixture. Whisk until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, making sure everything is incorporated.
  6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with batter.
  7. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating pan after 12 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Cool in pan for 3-4 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Ganache

  1. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium glass bowl.
  2. In a small sauce pan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup just until it bubbles.
  3. Pour heavy cream over chocolate and stir until smooth. If the chocolate doesn't melt all the way, place the bowl over a double boiler and continue to stir until smooth.
  4. Mix in the butter and extract.
  5. Allow ganache to cool to room temperature.
  6. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the cooled ganache until fluffy. Don't over mix or it will get grainy.

Buttercream

  1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
  2. Add half the powdered sugar and mix on high until incorporated and smooth.
  3. Beat in half the vanilla bean cream until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl, making sure all the sugar is combined.
  4. Add the remaining sugar and the peppermint extract.
  5. Mix in the food gel until it's the color you desire.
  6. Add remaining vanilla bean cream until you get the consistency you want. Mix on high 3-4 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Assembly

  1. Core each cupcake using the apple corer.
  2. Fill each cupcake with whipped ganache. (I filled a disposable piping bag, cut off the top and filled each one with that.)
  3. Using a large round tip and a piping bag, pipe a round swirl of buttercream on to each cupcake.
  4. Top with a Thin Mint cookie and chocolate shavings.
  5. EAT! ENJOY!

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Danielle

Saturday 12th of July 2014

These look delicious! I'm wondering if these cupcakes should be refrigerated overnight due to the cream in the frosting or if they can be stored in a container at room temp to be served next day? Thanks!

Abbie

Wednesday 23rd of July 2014

Ours were fine 2 days later; just be sure to cover the entire top of each cupcake, to keep them from drying out...not sure that would be possible with this recipe, though...SUPER-MOIST chocolate cake...BEST EVER!

Betsy Eves

Sunday 13th of July 2014

No need to chill! Room temperature is perfectly okay if you'll be serving the next day!

Martha Wald

Thursday 7th of March 2013

Love this recipe! Bought 5 more boxes todsy!

Shelby Joseph

Friday 31st of August 2012

I absolutely love the idea of this cake. I am making cupcakes for a friends birthday, and she loves mint chocolate. How do you think these would be if i put a thin mint cookie in the bottom of the tin before baking? I've seen the idea of the cookie at the bottom with an oreo, and just wanted some suggestions! Thanks!

Betsy ~ @JavaCupcake

Friday 31st of August 2012

I think that'd be a GREAT idea!!! Would just add another minty, chocolaty dimension to the cupcake! YUM!!! PLEASE, let me know how they turn out!! xoxo Betsy

Amber

Wednesday 11th of July 2012

just found your blog and I am totally in LOVE!! Thank you sooooo much for sharing I cant wait to try this recipe tonight!Just wondering do you think you can use the same recipe and make a cake? Thanks!

JavaCupcake

Thursday 12th of July 2012

Yes, absolutely. Just increase the baking time! :)

Taylor

Monday 16th of April 2012

I've seen a lot of other thin mint cupcake recipes that use mint extract instead of peppermint. What's the difference between the two and could your recipe use mint extract rather than peppermint? My mom is worried they won't be "minty" enough.

JavaCupcake

Tuesday 17th of April 2012

If you only have mint extract, that will be fine too. I just enjoy the flavor of peppermint extract more. And yes.... they will be plenty minty. The extract goes a long way! ENJOY!

Skip to Recipe