Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner it’s time to start baking something sweet for your sweetie! While Boyfriend gets to taste test nearly everything I make, it’s not very often that I make something specifically for him. (I know, I know. I’m a terrible girlfriend.) So in honor of Valentine’s, I made cupcakes just for him that I knew he would like—Chocolate Peppermint.


Boyfriend has an unhealthy obsession with candy canes. Each Christmas he buys box upon box of candy canes and devours them faster than I think humanly possible. For every one candy cane I eat during the season, he’s probably eaten an entire box. Or three. When I decided to make cupcakes for him this week, it was a no-brainer that they would be some kind of candy cane flavor. And what goes best with mint? Chocolate, of course.

These cupcakes are a simple variation on my go-to chocolate cupcake and buttercream recipes; just add a bit of peppermint extract to the cupcake mix, and substitute peppermint for the flavoring of the buttercream. So easy! And so delicious! Top with a sprinkle of some crushed up candy canes or peppermint candies and you’ve got a pretty dessert for your sweetie.

My only complaint was that they may not have been peppermint-y enough. The subtle mint flavor was perfect for me, but I was worried it wouldn't be enough for Boyfriend. But he didn’t seem to complain. Of the 8 I gave him from the dozen I made, there were only 2 left the next morning. (I think he even had one for breakfast.) Guess he liked them! But go ahead and double the peppermint extract in the recipe for more of a minty flavor if you’ve got a mint-aholic. I'm sure they'll like them just as much!

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Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Adapted from Food Network
Makes 24 cupcakes (If you feel like sharing. Halve the recipe if you're making them for a special someone)



Cupcakes:
1 cup sugar
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Frosting:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Pinch of salt
½ to 2 tablespoons of milk
10 peppermint candies, crushed, for decoration*


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with cupcake papers.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and mayonnaise until blended. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts and blend.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the mayonnaise mixture in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk.
4. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, filling each cup 2/3 full (about 2 tablespoons worth of batter). Bake for 18 minutes, or until the tops are firm and spring back when lightly touched. Cool in tins for 10 minutes. Remove from tins and place on wire rack to cool completely.
5. When cupcakes are completely cooled, make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add peppermint extract and salt, and beat until combined. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add milk as necessary to thin out to desired consistency. Pipe or frost onto cupcakes. Top with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candies.

*Note: For extra peppermint flavor, place crushed peppermints in a fine mesh sieve, and sift out the candy dust into a small bowl. Add a tablespoon or more of the dust to your confectioners’ sugar and whisk together before adding to butter mixture.