Candy Cane Cupcakes

Mint chocolate cupcakes with a peppermint buttercream, chocolate ganache, crushed candy canes and sprinkles

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword christmas, Cupcake

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 489kcal

Author thebakingexplorer

Pre-heat your oven to 140C Fan/160C/325F/Gas Mark 3, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases
For the cupcake sponge, mix together the baking spread and caster sugar, ideally using an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, for 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy
Add the eggs, peppermint extract and milk and mix them in well
Then gently whisk, or fold in, the self raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder
Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, and bake them for 25-30 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Put them on a rack to cool completely
For the buttercream, mix the softened butter on it's own for a few minutes. Then add the icing sugar, peppermint extract and milk, and mix until smooth. You can do this by hand, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer with paddle attachment will provide the best results. If the buttercream is too stiff, you can add a little more milk
To make the chocolate ganache, put the dark chocolate and double cream into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds on high (I used a 900W microwave). Then stir well. Microwave in 10 second blasts, stirring between each one, until the ganache is smooth and glossy
Spread or pipe the buttercream on top of the cupcakes
Spoon on pipe the chocolate ganache over the buttercream
Decorate with the crushed candy canes and sprinkles
Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used a baking spread for the cupcakes and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
I recommend using a good quality peppermint extract for the perfect minty flavour. And you don't need a lot of it to get the right balance of mint versus chocolate. Remember that with peppermint, a little goes a long way!
You could also decorate the cupcakes with mini candy canes, fondant or royal icing candy cane decorations, or any mint chocolate sweets.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.