Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes with Peppermint Meringue Buttercream

Well these cupcakes are quite dense, I love them, don't get me wrong, but they are very heavy. The Peppermint Meringue buttercream is just delicious to make and very easy. I did eat a lot before it even made it to the cupcake hehe!!!!
If I'm honest, these would make a really fine desert, rather than a eat it up Cupcake. I would serve this with a decadent adult coffee and a smidge of fresh whipped cream. Oh now we are talking. The other awesome thing about this Buttercream is that you can add other flavorings to go on other Cupcakes. Lemon, Strawberry, anything that your tastebuds like.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup strong hot coffee
3 teaspoons instant coffee
3/4 cup cocoa (I used Dutch Cocoa)
160g unsalted butter
400g brown sugar
3 eggs (large)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 150° fan bake. (See "The Oven" tab on my blog before starting your oven).
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Whisk the coffee, instant coffee, and cocoa into a paste and set aside.
In a bowl cream the butter until light and fluffy and then add the sugar and beat further until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time making sure you scrap down the bowl after each egg. Then add 1/3 of the flour mixture  and 1/2 the buttermilk. Repeat, and make sure you end with the flour, and mix until just combined.  Add the cocoa/coffee paste and fold in the mayonnaise.
Divide mixture into the prepared tins and fill up to 2/3 of the cupcake papers. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the baking skewer comes out clean. Once out of the oven move to wire racks to cool.

Peppermint Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 cups unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 1/2 tsp Creme de Menthe Liqueur (optional)
Green food colour (optional)

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
In your mixing bowl hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar until just combined.
Then pop the egg mixture over the boiling water and hand whisk for about 4 minutes (note: this is very hard and sore on your wrist, but hang in there). Your egg whites will become frothy and the sugar should be completely dissolved.
Then take your bowl and attach it to the mixer and whisk the egg whites until thick and glossy (this can take up to 8-10 minutes). Once the mixture is completely cooled remove the whisk and add the paddle attachment, and slowly add the butter one piece at a time making sure the beater is on slow. then add the vanilla, peppermint and Liqueur (and the food colour). Once this is mixed pipe immediately over your cupcakes.