Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes make the perfect holiday treat.  Loads of decadent chocolate cake topped with perfectly creamy peppermint frosting. 

OMG Christmas is in 9 days.  

Are you ready?  I am NOT!

My oldest comes home from college tomorrow, and my youngest the next day.  We leave for a lovely trip to Mexico on the 24th with family.   That means all presents must be wrapped, clothes must be cleaned, folded and ready to pack in the next week.  It’s a bit confusing pulling out shorts and flip flops while the temperature is in the teens and several inches of snow is on the ground, don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, just saying.

Work ahead in your baking.

To work ahead I have been baking up my holiday treats early, since we will celebrate the holiday, exchanging presents giving thanks, this coming weekend.  I have so many fond memories of the holidays when I was young and many revolve around the homemade baked goods my Mom would make, so I think it’s important to do the same for my family.  One thing I love is the combination of Peppermint and Chocolate.

 These Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes represent the holidays to me.

These completely over the top cupcakes are a perfect holiday baked good, perfect to have one and then give out the rest to friends, neighbors, and family.  The cupcakes are moist and delicious thanks to the addition of Maxwell House coffee.

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Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes make the perfect holiday treat. Loads of decadent chocolate cake topped with perfectly creamy peppermint frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate, Cupcake, Peppermint

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 28 minutes

Total Time 48 minutes

Servings 24 cupcakes

Author Amy

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Frosting

• 3 sticks unsalted butter cubed and softened
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract more or less to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 drops of pink food coloring optional
• 3 cups 12 ounces confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3-5 candy canes crushed

Instructions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare 2 -12 cup muffin tins (I lined and sprayed with baking spray)
3. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sift into the bowl of your electric mixer.
4. Meanwhile shake cold buttermilk and add milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs to a bowl set aside.
5. Brew 1 cup hot coffee.
6. With mixer on low blend dry ingredients together and slowly add buttermilk milk, followed by coffee. Mix will be soupy.
7. Using a 1/4 cup measuring spoon fill muffin tin 3/4 way full.
8. Bake for 28-30 minutes.
9. Remove and let cool completely.

Peppermint Frosting

1. Add butter, cream, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and salt to mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add 3 drops of food coloring.
2. Add confectioners sugar, slowly.
3. Add blended frosting to a piping bag and pipe frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes.
4. Sprinkle crushed candy cane pieces over frosting.

From shopping for gifts to planning family dinners, it’s hard to keep up with all your holiday to-dos. This year, Kraft is helping out with great weeknight meals and entertaining ideas to make the season a little bit easier. Plus, Kraft is offering up to $20 in coupons, redeemable exclusively at Target, to make food shopping easier and to help you have a happy holiday season.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kraft. The opinions and text are all mine.