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Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Created by: Courtney
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 12 cupcakes
These peppermint mocha cupcakes bring together rich chocolate mocha cake, fluffy candy cane buttercream frosting, and a smooth chocolate ganache drizzle for the ultimate holiday treat. Finished with crushed candy canes and candy cane sticks, they’re festive, refreshing, and guaranteed to impress at any holiday celebration.

Equipment

Ingredients 

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

  • ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup (22 g) dark cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup (177 g) boiling water
  • 1 tbsp (2 g) instant espresso powder
  • ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
  • ½ tsp (3 g) salt
  • ⅓ cup (73 g) vegetable oil
  • 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract

Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup (43 g) candy cane powder (finely ground candy canes)
  • ¼ cup (60 g) heavy cream (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp (2 g) salt

Chocolate Ganache

  • ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) heavy cream

Additional Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (43 g) crushed candy canes
  • 12 candy cane sticks or mini candy canes

Instructions

Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
  • In a small mixing bowl, stir together the semisweet chocolate chips, dark cocoa powder, boiling water, and instant espresso powder until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract, and whisk until the cupcake batter is well combined and smooth (the batter will be thin).
  • Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners, filling about ⅔ full. Use a large liquid measuring cup or a bowl with a spout to easily fill the liners.
  • Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes bounce back slightly when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer 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 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy. 
  • Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined. 
  • To make the candy cane powder, pulse candy canes in a food processor or blender until it turns into a very fine powder.
  • Add in the candy cane powder, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. If there are still cane candy powder granules in the frosting, continue to mix until they are fully dissolved. Then, turn the mixer to low speed and mix for several minutes to smooth out the buttercream.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Combine the semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Assembling the Cupcakes

  • Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with the candy cane buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto the cupcakes. Use a piping bag to drizzle the chocolate ganache onto the frosted cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with crushed candy canes and candy cane sticks or mini candy canes.

Notes

Storing & Serving:
  • Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
  • Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
  • Storage Note: The crushed candy canes will melt over time at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Frost and decorate the cupcakes before serving to ensure the crushed candy canes stay crunchy and do not melt into the frosting.
Baking Tools & Supplies (affiliate links): Cupcake pan | Cupcake liners | Cooling rack | Stand mixer or electric hand mixer | Piping bags | Wilton 1M piping tip | Food processor
Recipe Tips: Scroll up the blog post to see expert cupcake baking tips and frequently asked questions to make the most out of this recipe.
Note: Metric conversions and nutritional information are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Recipe Update: This recipe was updated in December 2025. The instant espresso powder in the cupcake batter was increased to 1 tbsp from 2 tsp.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

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