These chocolate peppermint cupcakes with swirled peppermint frosting are a perfect festive addition to any wintertime occasion. The cupcakes themselves are perfectly moist with a rich chocolate and minty flavor. The red and white swirled frosting and adorable sprinkles on top just make them perfect for a festive dessert table.
Festive Christmas cupcakes are a nice addition to the holiday season. They are perfect for holiday parties, but can also be made as a bake sale dessert and so much more.
Christmas desserts tend to be festive like these gingerbread cupcakes or these ornament cupcakes. And this chocolate peppermint cupcake recipe is no different.
When we put this recipe together, we wanted the perfect flavor combination, but also a cupcake that would really be eye-catching. And, the swirled red and white peppermint buttercream on top of each cupcake really hits that mark.
Ingredients
For chocolate peppermint cupcakes:
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Sugar
- Oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Peppermint Extract
- Milk
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cocoa Powder
For peppermint frosting:
- Butter - unsalted + softened
- Cream cheese - softened
- Salt
- Peppermint Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Red Food Coloring
- Sprinkles
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
Need to make a few tweaks or missing a few ingredients? Try out these substitutions.
- Use boxed mix - if you want to speed things up, you can use a chocolate boxed cake mix and add in the peppermint extract.
- Skip the swirled frosting - the red and white swirled frosting really puts the festive look of these over the top, but if you don't want to mess with food coloring and the sort, you can just make it white frosting.
If you love chocolate and peppermint flavors, try these chocolate peppermint cookies.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Use these easy step-by-step instructions and bake up a batch of your own.
Step one: Place liners in your cupcake tin and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two: add softened butter and sugar to mixing bowl and cream together on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Step three: add in vanilla, peppermint, oil and eggs. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Then add in milk and mix well - may appear a little curdled (this is normal).
Step four: add in flour baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Mix on medium/low, scraping sides as needed until well combined.
Step five: scoop batter into cupcake liners filling each about ⅔ of the way full. Then bake for about 14 - 16 minutes until center is set. Set aside to cool.
Step six: add softened butter, cream cheese salt, peppermint extract and half the powdered sugar into mixing bowl. Mix on low until well combined.
Step seven: add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then, turn speed to medium/high for 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
Step eight: divide frosting into two bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl and mix well.
Step nine: add large star tip to piping bag and place bag into a cup, folding the ends over the cup edges.
Step ten: scoop white frosting into one side of the bag and then an equal size scoop of red onto the other side of the bag.
Step eleven: place a large dollop of frosting onto each cupcake working in a spiral motion and drawing the frosting upwards. Then top with sprinkles.
Hint: make sure that cupcakes are fully cooled before adding any frosting or it will slide off the top and melt.
⭐Recipe Tips for Success
- Use a paddle attachment - when making the frosting, use a paddle attachment to get the right fluffy consistency. You should be able to scoop it up with a spatula without it drooping, but not so thick that it's difficult to move through the piping bag.
- Properly baked - cupcakes are done baking when you can insert a toothpick in the center and remove it without anything sticking to it.
- No piping bag - if you don't have a piping bag, you can use a ziplock bag instead and put the piping tip on that.
Storage
You can store these cupcakes for 3 - 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Or, you can freeze them up to 6 months. If they are already frosted, make sure to flash freeze before packaging.
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Equipment
- Cupcake/Muffin Tin
- Cupcake Liners
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Measuring Cups and spoons
- Piping Bag
- Large Star piping tip
Ingredients
for chocolate peppermint cupcakes
- ½ cup Butter unsalted + softened
- ¾ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- ¾ cup Milk
- 1 ¼ cup Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
For Peppermint Frosting
- 1 cup Butter unsalted + softened
- 4 oz Cream Cheese softened
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- red food coloring
- Sprinkles
- 1 teaspoon Peppermint extract
Instructions
for the cupcakes:
- Put cupcake liners into cupcake tin and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add ½ cup softened butter and ¾ cup sugar to mixing bowl and cream on medium/high for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add 2 eggs, ¼ cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. Mix on medium until well combined.
- Add ¾ cup of milk and mix until combined. Batter may appear curdled, this is OK.
- add in 1 ¼ cup flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ cup cocoa powder. Mix on medium low, scraping sides ass needed until well combined.
- Scoop batter into cupcake liners filling them ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 14 - 16 minutes or until centers of the cupcakes have set. Set aside to cool.
for peppermint frosting:
- add 1 cup softened butter, 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of peppermint, ½ teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Add in remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low until combined.
- Turn speed up to medium/high and mix an additional 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Diving frosting in half and add red food coloring to one half.
- Add star tip to piping bag and place bag in glass folding edges over the sides of the glass.
- Scoop white icing into one side of the bag and then an equal amount of red icing into the other side of the bag.
- Pipe a large mound of frosting on each cupcake working in a spiral motion and drawing the frosting upwards.
- Top with sprinkles.
Notes
- Use chocolate boxed cake mix and add peppermint extract to make these even faster.
- Make sure to use a paddle attachment when making the frosting.
- Frosting consistency should be able to be scooped with a spatula without drooping.
- Make sure to allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.
- Store for 3 - 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Freeze for up to 6 months. Flash freeze first if already frosted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
