The peppermint cream cheese frosting on these chocolate cupcakes makes them a great holiday treat. The rich chocolate cupcakes have a minty frosting on top that will make your mouth water. For the finishing touch, add some holiday toppings!
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. 1 tsp salt. 2 large eggs. 1 cup buttermilk. 1/2 cup vegetable oil. 2 tsp vanilla extract. 1 cup boiling water. 8 oz cream cheese, softened. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened. 4 cups powdered sugar. 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies. 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. Red food coloring optional. Mini chocolate chips for garnish optional.
Instructions: Warm your oven up to 350 F 175C and put paper liners in a cupcake tin. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Use a sieve to mix the ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract. Mix everything together well. Add the hot water and mix the batter well until it is smooth. It's okay that the batter isn't very thick. The batter should be about two thirds of the way up each cupcake liner. After the oven is hot, bake the cupcakes for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in the pan. Then, move them to a wire rack to cool completely. Get the frosting ready while the cupcakes cool. Cream cheese and butter should be softened. Put them in a bowl and beat them together until they are smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, peppermint extract, and crushed peppermint candies to the cream cheese mixture little by little. It's important to mix the frosting well so that it's smooth. You can make the frosting pink for the holiday season by adding a few drops of red food coloring. Mix until the color is spread out evenly. Spread or pipe the peppermint cream cheese frosting on each cupcake once they are completely cool. If you want, you can add more crushed peppermint candies and mini chocolate chips as a garnish. Serve your chocolate cupcakes with peppermint cream cheese frosting and enjoy them!