Peppermint Cupcakes

Happy Monday!  Let's start this post by saying that my Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are being featured on Foodie Friends Daily Dish!  Yay me!!  :)  Head on over and check out all of the wonderful cookie recipes!

Now on to these fabulous cupcakes!  This weekend was filled with TONS of baking!  The kind of baking weekend when you think "chocolate, please don't ever let me see chocolate again....or flour or butter".  Wait a minute....I can't live without butter, so scratch the end of that comment!  But I did bake a lot and will be doing a lot more this week.  

The highlight of my baking weekend.....Peppermint Cupcakes!  A rich chocolate cupcake topped with peppermint cream cheese frosting!  Trust me....the frosting was fabulous!  Cream Cheese frosting is one of my favorites so I had to see if it would pair well with the peppermint and luckily it was perfect!!!

Next time I make these, I might even put a little of the extract right into the cupcake batter and give it an extra kick!  The cupcakes can be made and frosted in advance.  Refrigerate any leftovers.  My tip for you is this....do not add the crushed candy canes too early, the candy canes will melt into the frosting after a few hours.  

Big shout out of thanks to my friend's daughter, Nina, who photographed my cupcakes this weekend! She has her own photography blog called Nina Ten Eleven - See The World Through My Eyes.  Click on the name to link to her blog and check it out! 

Somebody was getting herself into the holiday spirit!  My own little reindeer named Cocoa!  :)

Peppermint Cupcakes

Cupcake via Alice Medrich

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and warm

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

Line cupcake pan with paper liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add half of the water and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining water. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. 

Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 16- 18 minutes (rotating the pan from front to back half-way through the baking time), just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool for ten minutes. Transfer the cupcakes from the pan to the rack and let them cool completely before frosting or filling.  Makes twelve cupcakes

Frosting

1/2 C. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese 

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

4 C. powdered sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. add peppermint extract and slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Pipe or spread desired amount onto cupcakes.  Sprinkle with crushed candy canes if desired.

Recipe makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes so you will have to double that cupcake recipe or get your spoon ready to eat the left over frosting!! :)

Recipe shared on:
Food Frenzy
Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate - Thursday's Treasures

My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays
Adorned From Above - Wednesday Blog Hop
Foodie Friends Friday