Recipe : Peppermint Cupcakes for Santa

Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy., is here with a delicious new recipe….

It’s official…I am in full holiday baking mode at my house!  After a trip to World Market and discovering all sorts of adorable mint green and red baking tins, parchment paper and striped and polk a dot cupcake wrappers my mind has been going non stop dreaming up all sorts of sweet treats for the month of December!  I went to the store and stocked up on a variety of flavored baking chips, chocolates, sprinkles, confectioner’s sugar and candy canes!  I think my pantry is now fully loaded and ready to embrace the season of baking!  To kick things off I chose peppermint as the theme and created a fun Peppermint and White Chocolate cupcake that is sure to be a hit at your upcoming holiday festivities.

If you are long time follower of Half Baked you may remember the Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream I created last year.  I am a huge fan of peppermint this time of year, so I decided to stick with that flavor and do a spin off creating a completely different version of a peppermint cupcake.

This year the cake starts as a basic white recipe with Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips added, providing both a peppermint flavor and a sprinkling of red throughout.  These cupcakes are certainly festive on their own before any icing is added.  To complement the peppermint flavor I used a white chocolate buttercream.  The pairing of white chocolate and peppermint works so well together, although I’m sure you already know this if you are fan of peppermint bark!

To finish off the look of these cupcakes I crushed up some candy canes with a rolling pin and sprinkled them on top of the buttercream.  It’s the perfect little red and white peppermint treat perfect for you, your family and friends and even for Santa! S o this year instead of leaving Santa a plate full of cookies, I bet he would love it if you gave him some cupcakes and milk!

Peppermint Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream
recipe by Lauren Kapeluck
(makes 28 cupcakes)

For the cake:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
5 egg whites
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add in egg whites one at a time mixing well after each addition.
4. Add peppermint extract and mix.
5. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Gradually add flour mixture and milk alternating and scraping down bowl as necessary.
7. Stir in sour cream and peppermint chips.
8. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
9. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

For the buttercream:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 (1oz) squares white chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
6-7 cups confectioner’s sugar

1. In microwave safe bowl combine white chocolate and cream.
2. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each until chocolate is melted (approximately 1 1/2 minutes). Let cool completely.
3. In bowl of stand mixer combine butter and chocolate mixture.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add vanilla and mix well.
5. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Place buttercream in a piping bag fitted with large round tip and squeeze a dollop on top of each cupcake.
7. Garnish with crushed candy canes.

Note : If you decide to garnish with candy canes, it is best to eat these cupcakes within a few hours of decorating as the candy will start to melt into the icing after sitting over time.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!  Enjoy!