So technically these cupcakes are a Christmas-themed recipe. They’ve got crushed candy canes on them and have peppermint flavouring in the frosting, which kinda screams Christmas to me. But I didn’t get around to making these before Christmas, so let’s just pretend it’s still the holidays and you’re reading this post snuggled up by the fireside with a mug of hot cocoa in your hands. 🙂
When I first saw this recipe on Sally’s Baking Addiction, my mouth dropped open. I think my comment on her recipe was that I wished I could inhale those cupcakes through cyber space, because I was THIS close to licking the screen in hopes I could eat those cupcakes. They looked that good!
I was busy with school though so I didn’t have time to make the recipe. I almost forgot about it, until one day I tried the peppermint mocha drink at Starbucks. Chocolately coffee swirled with whipped cream and minty, cool crushed candy canes…it was SO good! This recipe came rushing back into my mind and I knew I had to make it instantly.
Fast forward to the holidays. I went hunting for peppermint extract, which I couldn’t find anywhere for a reasonable price. But then as I was picking up groceries for my parents one day in Superstore, I happened to check the baking aisle and found it! I knew then and there that it was finally time to make these beautiful cupcakes.
Weirdly enough I don’t like coffee or tea. I don’t drink it at all, except for yummy drinks that are piled high with whipped cream at Starbucks. But I do like coffee-flavoured baked goods. Not sure why, but I enjoy the slightly dark, bitter taste of the coffee flavour swirled through the chocolate. It provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of chocolate, adding a little bit of depth. And the frosting for these cupcakes? TO. DIE. FOR.
What are you waiting for? Check it out!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 heaping tbsp instant coffee
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2-3 cups confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 cup whipping cream or milk
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- Melted chocolate
- Crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with liners and set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in 30 second increments, making sure to stir in between. Add the instant coffee and mix well.
- In another bowl, mix cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Slowly add the butter and chocolate mixture and mix well. Add half of the flour mixture, and then half of the buttermilk, and continue until everything added. Mix well, but don't over mix.
- Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners sugar, whipping cream, vanilla and peppermint until well mixed. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
- Melt chocolate in a bowl, and drizzle over the cupcakes with a smooth. Top with crushed candy canes.
Recipe inspired by Sally's Baking Addiction.
For those of you who don’t like mocha flavoured goods, feel free to omit it. But the flavour isn’t really that overpowering at all. In fact, next time I would add another teaspoon to get a little more depth of flavour. The cupcakes themselves are moist and chocolatey, and paired with the cool frosting, they’re perfect.
Can we talk about the frosting for these cupcakes? Whenever I follow Sally’s recipes, I always note that she calls for heavy cream in her frosting. While we don’t have heavy cream in Canada and instead have whipping cream, I always opt for milk, since that’s what I always have. But this time, I happened to have whipping cream on hand. And guys? It was SO WORTH IT. Like Sally mentions on her site, adding whipping cream to the frosting makes it extremely creamy and rich and dreamy. After adding the few drops of peppermint extract, I wanted to sit down at the island with a spoon to the frosting bowl. It was simply amazing.
I used a 2D tip to frost the frosting, and melted chocolate to decorate, as well as crushed candy canes. You could easily switch out the candy canes and add some other sprinkles or decorations. But the combination of peppermint and mocha and candy canes was just scrumptious.
Whether you make these beauties for your next dinner party, or to enjoy by yourself (like I did), they’re sure to be a hit!
Thanks for reading,
Ikhlas
