Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes {Holiday Classics}

Peppermint mocha cupcakes are a decadent dessert, with plenty of coffee flavor and  fluffy peppermint Swiss meringue buttercream. Perfect for the peppermint lover!

Oh hey it’s Friday and we are having some cupcakes!! We started the week with a slice of white chocolate pomegranate cake and now we are ending the week with some peppermint mocha cupcakes. You guys, I love the holidays!! It’s the only time of the year you can enjoy so many great flavors and my absolute favorite of course being peppermint. I think it should be illegal to not sell peppermint things year round (just saying). Anyway I digress.

Peppermint mocha cupcakes are a holiday classic over here, as I confessed a few posts ago.

These cupcakes (or some form of it) have always been on my menu during the holidays since Naomi shared them.

And guess what? My friend Emily over at Pink Tiger in the Kitchen loves peppermint mocha just as much. In fact, we both baked these cupcakes on the same day this weekend and she posted hers on Instagram. Immediately we decided to post them on the same day (blogging date) and have a peppermint mocha party!

These peppermint mocha cupcakes taste just like the latte that inspired them. The cupcakes are decadent, moist, dark mocha chocolate cakes, thanks to a good dose of hot coffee and heaping tablespoon of instant coffee. The cupcakes are topped with whipped and creamy peppermint swiss meringue buttercream. So so good my friends. These cupcakes need to be made. That’s really all I can say folks!

Enjoy the peppermint mocha cupcakes… here’s the recipe!

On another note, today marks the first day of pictures with my new camera. In came the shiny Canon toy and out went my little point and shoot. I hope you noticed some differences despite still trying to figure it out. So many buttons, so many controls and endless possibilities for improvement.

By the time you read this, I’ll be in snowy (and bitterly cold) Minneapolis for a two day holiday blogger event with Pillsbury! I can’t wait to tell you all about it next week :). For now, follow me on Instagram or Facebook, for updates!  Have a great weekend!

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Yield: ~12 cupcakes

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Peppermint mocha cupcakes are decadent, moist, dark mocha chocolate cakes, with a dose coffee for extra flavor! Here's the recipe. Peppermint lovers unite!

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee (I used Starbucks Via medium roast)
• ½ cup hot coffee

Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. Sift together all the dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.
3. In a medium bowl, combine all the wet ingredients using a whisk. Add the instant coffee into the wet ingredients.
4. Mix the dry ingredients on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add half of the wet ingredients. Mix for a minute on medium speed and scrape the sides and bottom of bowl. Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix for additional minute on medium speed. The batter will be thin. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
6. Cool cupcakes on wire racks completely. Meanwhile you could start on the frosting.

For Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

1. Whisk together sugar and egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Whisk until warm and sugar is dissolved (mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingers), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk egg white mixture 5 minutes (using the whisk attachment). Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled (test by feeling bottom of bowl), about 6 minutes.
3. Reduce speed to medium and switch to the paddle attachment. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract.
4. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in fridge for up to a week.
5. I used Wilton tip 1M to frost these cupcakes and topped with chocolate ganache.