Andes Mint Cupcakes with Irish Buttercream Frosting

These Andes Mint cupcakes with Baileys Irish cream buttercream frosting are the most impressive and delightful mint chocolate combination I've come up with. Everything about these cupcakes from their texture to their flavor is balanced to create a nuanced and pleasurable eating experience, unlike any other cupcake you may have had.

The secret is in the combination of flavors and the quality of the ingredients.

These Andes mint cupcakes harness the unique properties of Andes mints and Baileys Irish cream to create the single most rewarding mint and chocolate flavor combination I have ever indulged in. However, I do have a seasonal mint chocolate cupcake that you may love even more than this one.

Cupcakes are beautiful works of art, so take your time to do the flavors justice. With any mint-flavored goody, I find that adding some sprigs of fresh mint as a garnish is always an excellent way to present it for guests, or for photography.

Here are some tips to guide you through making this recipe and a brief explanation of why these key ingredients are so essential to the finished product.

Why Andes Mint Chocolate is a Key Ingredient

This chocolate mint cupcakes recipe specifically calls for Andes Mints. Andes mint chocolate has a unique flavor and texture not found in any other kind of mint candy. If you have ever had one of those Olive Garden Andes Mints they serve with your check, you know what they taste like.

The subtle blend of mint and chocolate and the creamy texture makes it the ideal mint for baking. There is a smooth and uninterrupted consistency, unlike other mint chocolates that have either a crunchy, chewy or gooey center. They are not hard candies either.

Although some chocolate mint with Irish cream buttercream frosting recipes might use a peppermint patty or junior mint, only Andes Mints have the right composition and balanced flavor for this type of recipe.

The chocolate is not waxy like other mint chocolate candies and there aren't any added ingredients to make the chocolate harder to break down or melt.

Because of all of these qualities I only recommend this particular candy for this recipe. You can find Andes Mints pretty easily at major supermarket chains.

Saving Time in the Kitchen

This is a real momentum-based recipe. It's simple and uncomplicated to make these Andes Mint cupcakes, but where some recipes may cause you to take a break as you leave time for things to set and cool, this recipe has you going nonstop until the job is done.

What I like most is there is less of a chance that you will be distracted or caught up in other activities while waiting. With this recipe, you are there the whole time making things happen yourself.

While the Andes mint cupcakes are baking, you are preparing the Baileys Irish cream buttercream frosting. Once the Irish buttercream frosting is done, the cupcakes are ready to be frosted. There is no downtime, which is great for getting these uniquely minty chocolate cupcakes ready for consumption as quickly as possible.

When doing any kind of baking, it's always preferable to have a task to do while waiting for another to finish. It's remarkable the way the frosting element coincides with caking the Andes Mint cupcakes.

Use your time in the kitchen to the best of your advantage and you will see satisfactory results.

Baileys Irish Buttercream Frosting

The component that takes this incredible Andes Mint chocolate recipe to the next level is the surprising ingredient in the frosting. Baileys Irish cream makes this special Irish cream buttercream the most ideal match for the smooth minty chocolate flavor of the cupcakes themselves.

When picking your cupcake topping, you have a few basic options, buttercream being one of them. Done poorly, this type of frosting can be excessively sweet. Too much of the wrong frosting can ruin a cupcake.

Done correctly, buttercream is one of my favorite ways to top a cake or a cupcake.

This version of the recipe using Baileys Irish cream buttercream frosting adds a new layer of flavor that not only keeps the mixture from becoming too sweet but also balances out the whole cupcake so that you keep taking bite after bite and it never falls into that dreaded monotonous tedium of the same repeated flavor that we often get with sweets.

Even if you are not typically a fan of Irish buttercream, I think that you might find it is a refreshing approach for this particular cupcake.

Alternatives to Irish Cream

The one caveat with Baileys Irish cream is that it is alcoholic. If that's OK and you don't mind some alcohol then go for it.

If you were hoping for another suggestion with alcohol but a different flavor then I have to suggest a coffee liqueur like Tia Maria or Kahlua. Either of these will work, as will any other cream liqueur.

Have a look at your local liquor store and decide which flavors will work best with your Andes Mint cupcakes.

While you would need to eat an impressive amount of cupcakes to suffer any ill effects from the liqueur, and you would definitely have more to worry about from the sugar you've consumed, you might prefer to instead use something that is alcohol-free for your Irish cream buttercream frosting recipe.

If you prefer to use an Irish cream flavored coffee creamer or some mint-flavored extract, that will easily work too. Simply add a little at a time and taste as you go until you reach the optimum flavor for you.

How to Make an Alternative Piping Bag

The hardest part of making a good cupcake is the artistry that goes behind frosting it. You have to have a steady hand, a good eye for detail, and a familiarity with the material.

You must be aware of the frosting's density and texture.

How much pressure is necessary to push how much frosting through at one time is something we take for granted. If you aren't used to it, there can be a lot of trial and error.

Seasoned bakers make piping frosting on a cupcake look easy, but it is a definite skill to master. Cupcakes include an inherent pressure to make them look beautiful, so if you are unfamiliar with piping homemade frosting onto a cake then it might make you slightly apprehensive.

The best thing to do is just practice. make a lot of cupcakes and get used to how the piping flows. You'll develop a rhythm of your own and learn how to hold the bag.

Because of this type of training and the importance of making your mint cupcakes as beautiful as they are tasty, I recommend using real piping bags and nozzles.

However, if you are just getting started you might not be ready for that kind of investment. Without piping equipment, you can still manufacture your own homemade version using a zipper bag.

Simply seal in the frosting and snip one of the corners of the bag to make a hole of your desired size.

Andes Mint Cupcakes with Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 18 minutes
Makes: 18 cupcakes

Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup salted butter softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 cup Andes Mints, roughly chopped (divided)

Baileys Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• ⅓ cups powdered sugar
• 5 tbsp. Baileys Irish Cream

Andes Mints Recipes: Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar
3. Beat in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder
5. Stir together with a whisk
6. Add to the bowl with the butter and mix
7. Slowly incorporate milk into the batter
8. Once well combined, fold in ½ cup of the Andes Mints
9. Line a muffin tin
10. Spoon about 2 tablespoon of batter into the paper-lined muffin pans and place in the center rack of the oven
11. Bake for 18 minutes

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.

Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting Recipe

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a hand or stand mixer to beat on high speed for about 1 minute, or until frosting is fluffy
2. Remove cupcakes from the oven and let cool on a wire rack completely before moving onto the next step *NOTE: the buttercream will pipe more easily when it is room temp, so by the time the cupcakes have cooled the frosting will be ready as well
3. Use a piping bag or the corner of a Ziplock to frost the cupcakes
4. Top each cupcake with a sprinkle of chopped Andes Mints

Enjoy!

Storing the Cupcakes

The frosting for these cupcakes is made with butter, so you'll need to refrigerate them.

They'll keep well for up to four days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can't freeze these cupcakes, so be sure you enjoy their delicious flavor before those four days are over!

Don't worry. It's been my experience that you'll run out of cupcakes well before you get to four days. They're just too good not to gobble up!

Try These Andes Mint Cupcake for Yourself

These delicious Andes Mint cupcakes with Irish buttercream frosting are the most delicious chocolate cupcakes you'll ever eat. The Andes Mint chocolate and Baileys buttercream frosting blend together to create one of the best-tasting cupcakes I've ever made.

And I've made a lot of cupcakes.

These cupcakes are perfect for any occasion from holiday get-togethers to backyard bashes, wedding and baby showers, or even a romantic date night in. Whatever occasion you choose to make these Andes Mint cupcakes for, you'll be glad you did. With rich, bold chocolate flavor, a kick of mint, and that classic flavor from the Baileys Irish cream buttercream frosting.

These cupcakes can't be beat!