Well if they sell peppermint candies year round, then you can eat peppermint candies year round, right?
I know these cupcakes look a little festive for Christmas, which they surely can be topped with candy canes, but I think the time for chocolate and peppermint is anytime. And when I say anytime, I really mean right now.
These were by far my favorite goodies to take pictures of.
I got really techy and set them on white cardboard and had Ben hold up another piece of white cardboard in the background…while holding Emry…while watching Braelyn ride her bike in the street…while dodging flying balls from the neighbor kids next door…while swatting flies away from my cupcakes. They probably just thought these cupcakes were as delicious as I do.
I think it’s safe to say that Ben is a wonderful personal assistant. He gets paid well…in food.
The base of this cupcake came from my Chocolaty Chocolate Cupcakes recipe. I have been on a mad hunt for arrowroot starch lately and cannot find it anywhere. So, I used tapioca starch in its place and these cupcakes turned out wonderful. So, if tapioca starch is more readily available where you are, go ahead and use it.
These chocolate cupcakes bake up so light and tender. They are not grainy at all. They look and taste like a real live chocolate cupcake!
Who am I? Geppetto? A real live boy!
I dipped these cupcakes in a mint chocolate ganache and sprinkled the outer edges with crushed peppermint candies before swirling some peppermint buttercream on top.
If you are making these in advance, I recommend sprinkling the crushed peppermint on just before serving. Otherwise, the candy will melt into the ganache, which still tastes wonderful but doesn’t look quite as pretty.
I don’t know why but these cupcakes remind me of just how much I love my kids. Weird how food does that to you; makes you think of completely unrelated things. Maybe it’s because these cupcakes are so whimsical and fun, which describes both my children to a tee. Or maybe it’s because Braelyn turns into a ravenous beast child when she catches even the glimpse of anything chocolate.
Whichever it is, I sure am one lucky mama…with really yummy cupcakes.
What is your fanciest cupcake recipe?
- For Cupcakes:
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely ground gluten free oat flour
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon potato starch (not flour)
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- ⅔ cup (4 oz) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 28 crushed peppermints, plus 28 whole peppermints for decorating
- For MInt Chocolate Ganache:
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1½ cups chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- For Peppermint Buttercream:
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- dash of salt
- red food coloring
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with liners. In a small mixing bowl sift together oat flour, potato starch, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Heat ⅔ cup of water to boiling. Add in the cocoa powder and stir to dissolve. While water is still warm add the coarsely chopped chocolate. Continue to stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Add vanilla and mix together.
- Remove beaters from mixing bowl and perform last steps by hand. Add half of flour mixture to mixing bowl. Gently stir until combined. Add sour cream and stir until incorporated. Add remaining flour and stir until incorporated. Add melted chocolate and stir until just combined.
- Fill liners ⅔ way full and bake one pan at a time for 23-25 minutes, rotating after 22 minutes, until tops bounce back with touch of finger and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on cooling racks.
- While cupcakes are cooling, make chocolate ganache by microwaving ¼ cup heavy cream in a glass bowl for 45 seconds. Pour 1½ cups chocolate chips into bowl. Let sit for two minutes. Stir chocolate for at least a minute to melt chocolate chips. Heat in additional 15 second increments, stirring for at least a minute in between each interval. Once chocolate is smooth, add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract. Stir to combine.
- Once cupcakes are cooled, dip tops into chocolate ganache and sprinkle crushed peppermint candies around the edges. Immediately place in the fridge or freezer so the ganache can set.*
- Once cupcakes are finished dipping, make the butter cream frosting. Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add 4 teaspoons peppermint extract, 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and a pinch of salt. Beat until combined. Add additional 2 cups powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add more sugar or cream to reach desired consistency.
- Separate batter in half. Drop 4-5 drops of red food coloring in one half and stir until combined. Put white frosting and red frosting in two separate piping bags. Cut ends off and place both bags side by side in a larger piping bag. Swirl frosting on top of ganache.
- Drizzle cupcakes with additional ganache and decorate with a peppermint on top.
[…] My four desserts included this Pumpkin Spiced Swirled Cheesecake, my Raspberry Lemon Bars, my Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes, and some Mini Nutroll Candybars (recipe coming […]