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Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Peppermint mocha cupcakes are perfect sweet treats for the holidays! A dark chocolate cupcake with a hint of espresso, swirled with peppermint buttercream frosting, chocolate drizzle, and crushed peppermint candy. These cupcakes taste just like Christmas and your favorite holiday coffee shop drink.

Equipment

  • Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or electric hand mixer

Ingredients 

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

  • ¼ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup dark cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • 2 tsp instant espresso powder
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup finely crushed peppermint hard candy or candy canes
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup heavy cream

Chocolate Ganache

  • ¼ cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream

Additional Ingredients

  • ¼ cup crushed peppermint hard candy or candy canes

Instructions

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
  • In a small bowl or a glass liquid measuring cup, stir together the semisweet or dark chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, boiling water, and instant espresso powder until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until combined and smooth.
  • Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners about ⅔ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when touched. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for butter for 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
  • Add in the powdered sugar and crushed peppermint hard candy and mix on low speed until combined. Add in the vanilla extract and salt, and then drizzle in the heavy cream.
  • Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip the buttercream for 5 to 10 minutes until the peppermint candy is fully dissolved and the buttercream is smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Heat the chocolate chips and heavy cream in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to heat in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate ganache is smooth and shiny.

Assembling the Cupcakes

  • Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the candy cane buttercream frosting. Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto the cupcakes. Drizzle the slightly warm chocolate ganache over the cupcakes and then sprinkle with additional crushed candy canes.

Notes

Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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