Our cupcake contributor, Lauren of Crave. Indulge. Satisfy, brings festive cupcake cheer — enjoy!
Happy December! The house is feeling very holiday-like: the tree is decorated, Christmas music is playing, and my baking list is growing by the day. To kick off the season I combined a favorite cold-weather treat, hot chocolate, with classic peppermint candy to make these festive cupcakes. I’m delighted with how delicious and charming these Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream turned out — I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.
The base is a straightforward chocolate cupcake batter, enriched with a prepared cup of hot chocolate for extra flavor and moisture. The real showstopper is the peppermint buttercream on top: chocolate and peppermint are a perfect holiday pairing, and the mint keeps your breath feeling fresh!
For a charming finish, garnish with homemade peppermint bark — a holiday staple in our house. It’s simple to make and you’ll have extra to package as gifts. If you prefer to skip that step, store-bought peppermint bark works well too.
Add these cupcakes to your holiday baking list — they’re a guaranteed hit at parties and make a festive gift. I’ll be baking them again and again this season!
Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream
(makes 20 cupcakes)
For the cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 packet hot chocolate mix prepared with 3/4 cup warm milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line muffin tins with paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add the eggs, the prepared hot chocolate/milk, vegetable oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients.
- Beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the batter among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for about 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When cooled, frost with the Peppermint Buttercream and top with pieces of Peppermint Bark.
For the peppermint buttercream:
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4–1/2 cup milk, to reach desired consistency
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Beat the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add milk a little at a time until the frosting reaches a spreadable, pipeable consistency.
- Mix in the peppermint extract until evenly incorporated.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip and pipe generous swirls on the cooled cupcakes.
- Garnish with pieces of Peppermint Bark and (optional) white nonpareils for extra festive sparkle.
Peppermint Bark:
12 oz chocolate baking bark or good-quality dark/milk chocolate
12 oz white chocolate or vanilla baking bark
20 mini candy canes, crushed
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate bark in a microwave-safe bowl, heating in 15–30 second intervals and stirring until smooth. Pour and spread the melted chocolate into an even layer on the prepared sheet. Let it set for about 30 minutes until firm.
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in short intervals, stirring until smooth.
- Stir peppermint extract into the melted white chocolate, then pour it over the set dark chocolate layer and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the white chocolate layer.
- Allow the bark to fully harden (about 30 minutes), then break into pieces to garnish cupcakes or package as gifts.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and happy baking!