Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Dear Chocolate,

You and I... we tend to have a love hate relationship. I love you, but you loved my hips even more. That of course, grew into me hating you instead.

Over time, I learned that you are innocent. It is the way I view you that is at fault. I heard a saying that goes like this, "the first spoonful tastes the same as the last." It means that good food does not always mean we have to eat it all. On the contrary, savoring the first bite as it is the last is just as good.

So I learned to savour. To have a bite and not bite myself for it. Telling myself that guilt will only make myself enjoy this less.

But then, I come across these beautiful cupcakes from Joanne's Eat Well with Others.  It has NO butter, and uses cocoa powder instead of melted dark chocolate (*shudder with delight complete with goosebumps*). I could have a whole cupcake without guilt! Rejoice!!

Oops-buttercream contains calories too. So chocolate, I endeavor to conquer you. So badly that I decided to whip up some cream cheese instead. I combined the "extra light" and "Light" varieties, whipping it with some icing sugar to have a stiffer consistency. Then I piped it onto the mint chocolate delights.

Wait, surely a piece of caramel stuck in the middle of the cupcake will provide more oomph?

Maybe next time. For today, I can enjoy my cupcake. Claiming it ALL MINE without the need to share it with anyone else....

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Joanne who adapted it from Martha Stewart)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup  cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp pure peppermint extract
3/4 cup warm water
Cream Cheese

Preheat oven to 180C.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract and the water. Turn on the electric whisk and mix everything, scrapping and mixing till it is well combined.

Spoon mixture into each lined muffin cups.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes.  Turn out cupcakes onto racks to cool completely.

To finish, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with cream cheese  and pipe onto cupcakes.  Once frosted, cupcakes can be stored up to 1 day at room temperature or 3 days in the fridge.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting 

1 tub of philadephia cream cheese extra light 220 grams
1 tub of philadephia cream cheese light 250 grams 
1 cup of icing sugar

Whisk by hand till mixture thickens. Spoon into pipping bag with a large tip and pipe into cupcakes.