Peppermint Cupcakes

These are my "Christmas" cupcakes. Most people may hesitate in tasting peppermint flavored cupcakes, but once they've tasted these cupcakes they loved it! It's a very rich and moist dark chocolate cupcake with peppermint buttercream topped with white chocolate peppermint crumbles. The frosting isn't too sweet and the semi-sweet taste of the dark chocolate cake balances the sweetness from the frosting and white chocolate/peppermint crumble anyway. For the crumbles, I used white chocolate-peppermint Hershey's Kisses candy.

Servings: 12

Cook time: 20 mins at 350 F

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C + 2 Tbsp C all-purpose flour (replace 3 Tbsp of this with 3 Tbsp cornstarch)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 C unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

½ C firmly packed light brown sugar

½ C granulated sugar

2 large egg

½ C buttermilk
3/4 C vegetable oil

1/2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven at 350 F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Mix dry ingredients; flour, cocoa power, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Blend wet ingredients: mix sugars together, then add eggs, and blend together until thoroughly combined (do not over mix). Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, espresso powder, vanilla extract and vinegar with the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix together, but do not over mix; just enough that all the ingredients are blended together.

3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients gradually, and mix until ingredients are combined. Do not over mix batter (overmixing batter could result to sunken cupcakes). Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the batter.

4. Bake for 20 mins and cool for 30 mins.

Peppermint Buttercream

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted butter, softened

3 C powdered sugar

½ tsp peppermint extract

2-3 tbsp whipping cream (add for desired spreadable consistency)

Chopped white chocolate peppermint and topped on side

Directions:
1. Mix butter until smooth, 3-5 mins. at medium-high speed.

2. Decrease speed to low and gradually add powdered sugar, scraping sides of bowl.

3. Add peppermint extract. Increase speed to high and mix until fluffy, 3-5 mins. Add whipping cream by 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach desired spreadable consistency.

4. Once cupcakes have cooled add frosting. Garnish with white chocolate/peppermint crumble.
Note: to add red stripes, draw 3 lines inside pastry bag with red gel paste color.