{Day 10} 12 Days of Cupcakes - Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

Peppermint and chocolate go together like Jenny and Forrest. 

This cupcake reminds me of those Girl Scout Thin Mints Cookies.  The chocolate cake is rich and very moist and the peppermint flavor is a perfect accompaniment.

You can dress these cupcakes up with peppermint bark, peppermint starburst candies, candy canes or an chocoate peppermint wafer.  I frosted mine with a Peppermint buttercream that I tinted Christmas green and added a peppermint candy and chocolate mint for a topper.  You can also try a white chocolate peppermint flavored frosting and before you pipe on your frosting paint 2 streaks of red food gel on the inside of your bag to create a swirl effect!

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups Sugar
1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Boiling Water
1 tsp Peppermint Extract

Mint Buttercream Frosting Recipe follows

To Make
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3. In a large measuring cup whisk together eggs, milk, oil, butter, and vanilla & peppermint extracts.

4. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, being careful not to overbeat.

5. Gradually stir in boiling water to mixture (mixture will become thin).

6. Fill cupcake liners with batter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers of the cakes come out clean.

7.  Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely prior to frosting.


Peppermint Buttercream Frosting(This is a basic vanilla buttercream frosting with Peppermint extract added - you can omit the vanilla if you want a straight peppermint frosting).

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Peppermint Extract
4 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1 Tbsp Milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter until creamy.
2. Add vanilla and peppermint until combined.
3. Gradually mix in confectioner's sugar.
4. Add milk.