Abbey Murta, an Employee Success Center development specialist, shares her recipe for Bearocious Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream icing.

By Jubenal Aguilar
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]

The Brookhaven Courier held its first bake-off competition Nov. 16. Students, staff and faculty tasted and chose their favorite dessert from the two entries. Abbey Murta, Employee Success Center development specialist, took the first prize for her Bear-ocious Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream Icing with 30 votes from Brookhaveans. Joshua Johnson, Office of Student Life student programs development coordinator, came in second place with 14 votes for his Cherry Galette.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 18 servings
CUPCAKES
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup boiling water

ICING
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. milk
• 1 1/2 vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. mint extract (or more depending
on your preference)
• Green food coloring
• Andes mints

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper baking cups.

2. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients for the cupcakes (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt.)

3. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients for the cupcakes, except the water (eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.)

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and beat on medium speed for about a minute. Gradually pour in boiling water and beat until smooth.

*Note: The batter will be very thin.

5. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 of the way full.

6. Bake for 20-22 minutes and cool on a cooling rack.

7. While cupcakes are baking, prepare the icing.

8. Combine butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Once combined, add in the mint extract and food coloring (about 10 drops) and beat just to combine. Do not over beat.

*Note: if icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar; if icing is too thick, add more milk.

9. Pipe icing onto cooled cupcakes and top with an Andes mint.