Now that Halloween has come and gone, I have one very important question…
Are you the type of person that puts up their Christmas decorations and watches Hallmark movies on November 1st?
Or, are you the type of person who hates the person described above?
I have to admit, I am somewhere in the middle. I LOVE Christmas but I forget how much I love it until I am a couple weeks into November.
However, I do NOT decorate for Christmas until Thanksgiving comes around, that would be ridiculous 😉
Now that we are a couple weeks into November, I figured its time to start breaking out my holiday Cupcakes and Cake recipes to share with everyone here.
Because, I may not be able to decorate, but I can start baking yummy holiday treats anytime of the year.. 😉
These peppermint hot chocolate cupcakes are the perfect treat to get you all in the Christmas mood. They were super easy to make, although I will admit, I made a HUGE mess when I made these suckers.
More so because I have a hard time cooking or baking without making a mess, but also because I make a huge mess when I do any sort of icing.
If you are not like me and can keep a clean kitchen when baking, then this peppermint hot chocolate cupcake recipe will be easy and you won’t have to worry about a huge mess.
For everyone else, good luck.
The recipe consists of a chocolate cake, marshmallow buttercream frosting and a peppermint ganache drizzled over the top. Paired with a peppermint hot chocolate and you are ready to snuggle into the couch with a book on a cold and snowy night.
Or maybe it’s just me..
Either way, get the full peppermint hot chocolate cupcake recipe below!
Please note: This recipe is a recipe that needs to be adjusted according to altitude! If you are high altitude, please head to this website and follow the instructions on how to modify the cake to your altitude!Â
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase from one of my links I may get a commission at no extra cost to you. Please note- I only recommend products that I use and LOVE myself!
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Hot Water
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 (7 ounce) Container Marshmallow Creme
- 1 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Peppermint Ganache
- 4 ounces Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
- 1 Tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
Cupcakes
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Preheat oven to 350F. Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
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Add in vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil and mix until smooth. Be sure not to over-beat the mixture as it will cause the cupcakes to sink. Pour in the hot water and mix. The batter will be very thin.
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Pour batter into the cupcake liners approximately 2/3 of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool COMPLETELY on a cooling rack before icing.
Icing
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Beat softened butter until smooth ad creamy (I would recommend using an electric mixer). Add in the marshmallow creme and beat until well combined. Finally, add in the powdered sugar and vanilla scraping the sides down and mixing until smooth.
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Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, top with the icing.
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To get the best icing decorating, I use a icing decorator, however you can get disposable icing bags at the grocery store.
Peppermint Ganache
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In a small bowl, pace hershey kisses and heavy whipping cream. Place in microwave for 30 sec and remove. Mix the ingredients together. Place back in microwave for another 30 seconds if needed. Keep doing this until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
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Drizzle over iced cupcakes and enjoy!
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High Altitude: This recipe DOES need to be adjusted if you are high altitude. Head HERE and follow the instructions to adjust your recipe!
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For a quick adjustment of your recipe (5000 ft and above): Take away 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder, take away 2 tablespoons of sugar, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons hot water. Change the temp to 375F and cook for the same amount of time.
Other Products That I Used and Loved With This Recipe:
Kitchen Aid Mixer: I understand that these suckers are expensive, but I have to tell you, I have had mine for YEARS! Plus, they make so many recipes ten times easier (especially that recipes with thick doughs). I highly recommend investing in one of these awesome baking tools.
Cooling Racks: These save so much space! I am telling you, you don’t realize you need stackable cooling racks until you have them. They are really easy to clean and perfect to decorate on.
Muffin Pan: In order to make cupcakes, you need a muffin pan… just saying..
Icing Decorator: Yup, these have the fancy tips and everything. Perfect for decorating cupcakes and getting out your inner creative! I have a theory, similar to the way coloring can make you relax by releasing endorphins, I feel like decorating a cake or cupcakes can help you relax for the same reason… just a thought 😉
Chocolate Drizzler: This is a chocolate drizzler, but it works wonders for this peppermint ganache! It makes it so easy to drizzle anything on a cupcake or cake and I can tell you, it saves you from a huge mess…
Cupcake Carrier: This cupcake carrier is amazing! There is a handle on the lid that goes over the three tiers and it works perfect for when you need to transport cupcakes. Plus, when you get there, all you have to do it take the lid off and the cupcakes will already look fancy on the tier ;). Definitely a necessary purchase for any moms who love to bake for their kids or someone who bakes for friends and family!
I hope you guys enjoy this DELICIOUS recipe as much as I did! I would love to hear if these peppermint hot chocolate cupcakes got you in the holiday spirit! If not, let me know so I can keep trying 😉
Happy Baking!
