Yield: 15 cupcakes
Christmas Lights Chocolate Cupcakes
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
For Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm water or strong brewed coffee (check recipe notes)
For the cream cheese buttercream frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Toppings:
- Chocolate syrup or black decorating gel
- Mini M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set it aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium-size bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. Slowly add in the hot water or coffee.
- Use a large ice cream scoop or a ⅓ measuring cup to divide the batter between the liners, filling each about ⅔.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting; with a hand mixer or a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix on high speed the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Cream on high until mixture has lightened and is fluffy for about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and frost the cupcake.
- Trace a black line around the frosting with the decorating gel or the chocolate syrup.
- Stick M&Ms around the line imitating Christmas lights. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use high-quality cocoa powder. The quality of the cocoa powder will break or make the most delicious chocolate cupcakes.
- Do not overmix or overbake your cupcakes. This will result in a dry and tough crumb. Take the cupcakes out of the oven when your toothpick comes out almost clean. The cupcakes will continue to bake as they cool.
- Use the recommended mini M&Ms but discard the brown ones.
- Make sure you are using a round piping tip. I used Wilton 2A.
- Instead of M&Ms, you can use different coloring decorating gels and pipe dots across the black line.