Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (i usually use about 1/2 a cup of dark chocolate chips)
  • 1 8-oz carton of sour cream
  • 1 cup milk

Cupcake Procedure:

Preheat Oven to 350.
In a small bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. In a large bowl beat shortening and sugar on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour mixture and milk; beat on low after each addition just until combined. Put batter into cupcake liners, we used a little less than 1/4 cup of batter for each cupcake.

Bake 16-18 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Peppermint Butter Cream Icing Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2sticks) unsalted butter, Let soften first – it is very important that it is Unsalted.
  • 8 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 1 small bag of peppermints
  • Peppermint sticks
  • Red M&M’s

Butter Cream Procedure:

You may want to cut the recipe in half. A full recipe will frost almost 36 cupcakes!

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add 4 cups of the sugar, the milk and the peppermint extract.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. Put frosting in a piping bag with frosting tip and frost cupcakes. You can also use a large baggie, just snip off the end of corner and use a swirling motion as you squeeze the frosting out. You can store the icing at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days.

Sprinkle with peppermint pieces, secure red M&M to peppermint sticks with a little frosting and insert into cupcake. Viola! You have adorable North Pole Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes!

Put your peppermints in a baggie and smash into small bits to sprinkle on top of the frosting

You can pick up tips and bags for frosting at craft stores if you would like that bakery look you see in the pictures.