Ditch the cookie tray (not all season, but just once 😉) because chocolate peppermint cupcakes are the real holiday showstopper.
Made with Dutch cocoa for a rich dark chocolate flavor, real peppermint extract, and buttery swirls of red-and-white frosting, they look like they came straight from a festive bakery case.
They somehow work for every kind of holiday gathering. Book club, my husband’s office party, and obviously our own Christmas table, and they’ve officially earned a spot on my favorite Christmas recipes list!
And while cookies tend to steal the spotlight in December (especially my double chocolate peppermint cookies), I’ll die on this hill: holiday cupcakes deserve their moment too.
The best part? They’re simple, reliable, and totally doable as a last-minute bake.
Make a full batch of chocolate peppermint, or split it half-and-half with my hot chocolate cupcakes for the ultimate Christmas dessert tray. Either way, someone will ask where you bought them… and you’ll get to say you made them!
Full recipe is below!
How to Bake Them (With Photos!)
1
Work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like fine, even crumbs. This step coats the flour in fat, which keeps the cupcakes extra tender and prevents tunneling later.
2
Mix in the wet ingredients until the chocolate batter is evenly combined. This is the step where gluten can develop fast, so stop as soon as the flour streaks disappear to keep the cupcakes soft. It’s normal if it looks a little clumpy!
3
Prepare the peppermint buttercream and tint half of it red. Piping the colors from two separate bags keeps the swirl crisp and prevents the colors from blending.
4
Slip the two frosting bags into a larger bag fitted with a star tip, then pipe tall peppermint swirls on each cupcake. I like to finish them with peppermint chips or mini candy canes for a festive bakery-style finish.
These cupcakes are one of the first things I prep when I’m building a bakery-style holiday spread at home.
They hold beautifully overnight, and pairing them with something pepperminty, like peppermint brownies or a batch of peppermint chocolate chip cookies, makes the whole table look curated without the stress!
Happy holidays 🫶🏻
— Cambrea
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Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcake Batter
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached cake flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 8 tablespoons cubed unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup room temperature coffee or hot water
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
For the Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- Red gel food coloring
- Peppermint baking chunks and candy canes for decorating
Instructions
Make the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F(180°C). Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use the paddle attachment to mix in the butter until it resembles coarse sand, about 3 minutes on low speed.1 cup + 2 tablespoons (143 g) unbleached cake flour, 3/4 cups (150 g) granulated sugar, 2/3 cup (60 g) unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder, 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 8 tablespoons (113 g) cubed unsalted butter
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, oil, coffee, egg, egg yolk, and peppermint extract. Pour this mixture into the bowl and mix on low speed for a few seconds, then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Continue mixing for a few seconds longer until completely combined and no streaks of flour remain. The batter won’t look completely smooth and will seem lumpy. That’s normal!1/2 cup (113 g) sour cream, 1/4 cup (56 g) whole milk, 1/4 cup (56 g) vegetable oil, 1 (50 g) large egg, 1 (18 g) large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon (4 g) peppermint extract, 1/4 cup (56 g) room temperature coffee or hot water
- Fill the cupcake liners with the batter; each one will be roughly 3/4 full. You will have enough batter for 12 cupcakes.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Once baked, let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them from the hot pan and let them finish cooling directly on the rack.
Make the Peppermint Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the heavy cream and peppermint extract, then mix until fully combined.2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, 3 3/4 cups (450 g) powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 g) heavy cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- Scoop half of the frosting into a large piping bag and set aside. Add red food coloring to the remaining frosting and beat until it reaches a vibrant candy cane red. Transfer the red frosting to a second piping bag.Red gel food coloring
- Place both frosting bags into a third large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Cut the tips off the inner bags and pull them through the piping tip. Pipe a swirl or two into a bowl first to get the colors to blend before frosting the cupcakes.
- Pipe swirls of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, then top with peppermint baking chips and mini candy canes.Peppermint baking chunks and candy canes for decorating
Notes
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