Grasshopper Cupcakes
The Grasshopper is a sweet, mint-flavored, after dinner drink made from creme de cocoa, creme de menthe and fresh cream. Some say the origin of the cocktail is a bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The green colored frosting make this cupcake a perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day, Spring/Easter celebrations or a Summer evening when a cool mint dessert would hit the spot.
The cupcake is a rich chocolate treat, filled with chocolate ganache spike with chocolate liqueur and then frosted with creme de menthe. These cupcakes are a version of the Grasshopper that everyone can enjoy!
Start by making a batch of my go to chocolate cupcakes, Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes.
Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 extra large eggs
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
- 1 1/4 cups unsweeted cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat pven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well after each addition. Mix in the coffee and combine until completely blended.
- While mixer is on low speed, add the cocoa powder and blend completely. Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add the sour cleam and mix until blended. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just untiil blended.
- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
While the cupcakes bake, prepare the chocolate ganache. For these cupcakes, I used a standard chocolate ganache recipe and spiked it with chocolate liqueur, aka creme de cocoa.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Instructions
- Place chocolate chips and corn syrup in bowl.
- Heat heavy cream in the microwave in 30 second increments untilvery hot. Do not boil.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
- The ganache will thicken as it cools.
Notes
The frosting here is a basic American buttercream with a good bit of creme de menthe added. Creme de menthe is mint liqueur, usually colored green, that adds a subtle mint flavor the frosting and a the light green color. I had a hard time finding the creme de menthe, perhaps because it was the day before St. Patrick’s Day. Growing up, my mom ALWAYS got creme de menthe to have over vanilla ice cream on St. Patrick’s Day. It was a bit of a love hate thing: cool to have liqueur as a kid but it tasted a bit like toothpaste. Don’t get me wrong though, this frosting is subtly minty and a beautiful light green, nothing like my toothpaste memories!
Creme de Menthe Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature 4 sticks
- 2 pounds powdered sugar confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup creme de menthe
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Use an elctric mixer, beat butter until creamy and light. Add powdered sugar, salt and 1/4 cup creme de menthe and beat until thoroghly blended, scraping down sideds a few times. With mixer on low speed, add cream then beat on high speed for approximately 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add ore creme de menthe to achieve the right consistency for frosting or piping onto cupcakes.
For these cupcake I used special flower tips to achieve a lovely design in the finished frosted cupcakes.
I think the frosting flowers makes these Grasshopper Cupcakes more celebratory, don’t you?
