Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

By Jenni K
@AnCsMom

Around Christmas, I've often put a candy cane into a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Why not indulge in the same treat in cupcake form?

Lauren's recipe from the blog "Crave. Indulge. Satisfy."

Rating:

★★★★☆ 3 votes

Comments:

11 Comments

Serves:

20 cupcakes

Prep:

10 Min

Cook:

15 Min

Ingredients

2 1/2 c: flour
2 c: sugar
1 c: cocoa powder
2 tsp: baking powder
1 tsp: baking soda
1 tsp: salt
3: eggs
1: packet hot chocolate mixed with 3/4 cup warm milk
3/4 c: vegetable oil
1 tsp: vanilla
3 stick: unsalted butter, softened
6 c: powdered sugar
1/4-1/2 c: milk
1 1/2 tsp: peppermint extract
: peppermint bark (homemade or bought) broken into pieces

How to Make Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

Step-by-Step

1Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2In bowl of stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients: eggs, hot chocolate/milk mixture, vegetable oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
4Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Peppermint Buttercream and garnish with Peppermint Bark (if desired).
5FOR BUTTERCREAM: In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add milk until you reach desired consistency. Add peppermint extract and mix well.

If desired, place icing in piping bag fitted with a large round tip and frost cupcakes, or just frost as desired. You can also use a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off if you don't have a piping bag.