Fantastic Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

Finally! A recipe that is still up on my iPad browser so I can share the actual ingredients with you. Yay! Catching up is incentive to not get behind again.

But more exciting news: THESE WERE DELICIOUS. Like, everyone loved them. I loved them. I ran out of confectioner's sugar, so they were more cream cheese savory than super sweet, and that, I think, is the difference. Also, I added cinnamon to the cupcakes because I think all desserts taste better with cinnamon (or cardamon, or something).

So make these. Even if it isn't holiday time. They are super, extra, definitively worth it. Yumtown, population: these guys.

Cupcakes

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (best quality available) [I just used Trader Joe's]

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon [my addition]

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (best quality available)

1 cup boiling water

Line muffin tin with paper liners. Heat oven to 350*F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.

Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).

Fill liners 2/3 full with batter. (I usually put the batter into a large measuring cup with a pour spout, and then pour the batter into the liners.)

Bake cupcakes for approximately 22-24 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack before frosting.

Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick, 8 Tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature (about 3/4 of a regular block of cream cheese)

4 cups powdered confectioners sugar [I probably only used 3 cups]

1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract [didn't have this, I mixed in 4 crushed candy canes]

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 to 3 Tablespoons heavy cream, heavy whipping cream (or milk- although I do like the richness that cream adds)

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add powdered sugar (a little at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy. 

Add vanilla and peppermint extracts. 

Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don’t add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)

Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

[I put 4 or 5 candy canes in a bag and beat it pretty much to dust using my rolling pin {you're welcome, neighbors} and then mixed that in at the end with a spoon, not the mixer.]

Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.) [I took these to work and transported the cupcakes and frosting separately so it wasn't a hot mess. I'm learning!]

To achieve the red stripe in the frosting:  Before filling a large piping bag with frosting, add some red gel food coloring to a toothpick, and draw two (vertical) lines with the red dye on the inside of the piping bag. Then carefully fill the piping bag with frosting.  Squeeze some frosting into a bowl until you begin to see the red stripe, then frost the cupcakes.

[I mostly failed at this because I was lazy and just swirled in red food coloring to the frosting and then frosted. Whatever, pink is still festive and communicates the point.]

Top cupcakes with some crushed candy canes (they will ”melt” after a bit, so they need to be served right away) or a small piece of peppermint bark (I used a little peppermint Andes candy).