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These Red Velvet Peppermint Cupcakes are moist, fluffy, and bursting with sweet chocolate and a hint of peppermint. Easy to make from scratch and topped with a swirl of peppermint frosting, this cupcake recipe will be a hit for Christmas dessert!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Well, maybe not in terms of snow, but the explosion of holiday decorations, crowded stores, and endless seasonal commercials and movies happens so early, it feels like Christmas is just around the corner.
And speaking of commercials…I usually see my first Christmas commercial in the beginning of October. How crazy is that?! I’m all for holiday spirit, but that’s way too early.
Do you shop the Black Friday sales? Or are you more of a Cyber Monday shopper? I’d love to know what deals you’ve found!
I say this every year, but I really try to embrace every day of the holiday season because it always goes by in a flash. Before you know it, January will be here with nothing in sight but cold, snow, and more snow. Can you tell that I hate winter around here?
So to kick of the holiday season with a bang, I present to you my new favorite cupcake. And if you know me, I’m not a big fan of cakes and cupcakes, so this is saying a lot! It’s also filled with my favorite holiday flavor, peppermint!
Did you know that peppermint and red velvet go well together? So well, friends! Dare I say this is my favorite cupcake to date?
But, I can’t take all of the credit for this recipe, though. I found this cupcake in an older issue of the Food Network Magazine from three years ago. I saved this recipe and am finally putting it to use!
What Makes These Peppermint Cupcakes So Fantastic:
These cupcakes are soft, moist, and bursting with flavor. And if you’re a red velvet and peppermint lover, these cuties were made for you!
Not only is the frosting filled with peppermint, but the cupcake batter is, too. But only slightly, so it’s not too overpowering and it also lets that chocolatey goodness shine.
Like most of my recipes, these Christmas cupcakes are a breeze to make. Just two bowls and no mixer required (except for the frosting) and you’re on your way to the most delicious holiday treat.
How To Make Red Velvet Peppermint Cupcakes
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Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners or grease the pan well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, combine the flour, unsweetened cocoa power, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, milk, and egg.
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Add the sugar, vinegar, red food coloring, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and peppermint extract into the milk mixture. Whisk until well combined.
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Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling almost 3/4 full.
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Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cupcake is clean.
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Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.
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To prepare frosting, cream the softened butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, for about 3 minutes.
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Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing to incorporate. Add the milk and peppermint extract, beating to combine.
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Pipe or spread the frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Then top with crushed candy canes. Alternatively, you could stir candy into frosting and then pipe, if desired. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips:
Be sure not to over stir the cupcake mixture! If you over stir it, you can create bubbles in the mixture which will leave a series of pockets in your cupcakes.
The cupcakes will cool faster if you take them out of the pan and let them cool on a wire rack.
If the frosting starts to get a little stiff before you can frost all the cupcakes, just warm it up in the microwave for a couple seconds (only a few!) to soften it again.
Variations:
Sprinkle mini chocolate chips in the batter or on top of the frosting for an extra bit of chocolatey goodness!
Dip the frosted cupcake (just the frosting part) into a bowl of crushed candy canes to give a nice crunchy coat to the frosting!
Add coconut on top of the frosting instead of crushed candy canes to make it look like snow!
These Red Velvet Peppermint Cupcakes are fluffy, bursting with flavor, and topped with an irresistibly sweet frosting. What more could you ask for? Serve these beauties at your next holiday get-together and I guarantee everyone will love them!
Looking for more holiday recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Chocolate Peppermint Donuts
- White Chocolate Peppermint Scones
- Glazed Eggnog Bread
- White Chocolate Dipped Gingersnap Cookies
did you make and love this recipe? give it your review below and make sure to follow along with me on facebook and instagram to get other great recipe ideas!
Red Velvet Peppermint Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk any kind (I used 2%)
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Peppermint frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk any kind
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- Crushed candy canes for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners or grease well with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, unsweetened cocoa power, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk vegetable oil, milk, and egg. Add sugar, vinegar, red food coloring, vanilla bean paste (or extract), and peppermint extract. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk flour mixture into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling almost 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake is clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.
- To prepare frosting, cream softened butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, for about 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing to incorporate. Add milk and peppermint extract, beating to combine.
- Pipe or spread over cooled cupcakes. Then top with crushed candy canes. Alternatively, you could stir candy into frosting and then pipe, if desired.
Sara Smith says
Beautiful! I was just trying to think of a creative Cupcakes for kids. Will try this weekend. Thanks!
Gayle says
Hope you and your kids love these, Sara! Thanks for stopping by!
Sara Smith says
I Made them Cupcakes Gayle and they love it!! Thanks for Recipe I appreciate it.
Gayle says
I’m so glad you all enjoyed these, Sarah! Thanks so much for letting me know!