Chocolate Cupcakes (with Peppermint Icing)

Since Halloween and Thanksgiving are now finished for the year, it is pretty clear as you walk around that we are well into the Christmas season!  We may not have snow (yet, but maybe this weekend!), but everywhere you look the Christmas decorations and displays are already going up.


I found some awesome Christmas sprinkles when I was shopping last weekend, so I decided to try a new chocolate cupcake recipe from www.theavidappetite.com and pair it with some candy-cane inspired peppermint icing.  I believe that this cupcake recipe was originally adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.

These cupcakes are a bit richer than the other chocolate cupcake recipes I have made, but I really enjoyed them.  The batter was a really neat texture (very light and fluffy) and as a result it produced some very fluffy and delicious cupcakes.


There is a little bit more work involved in these cupcakes than is required for most chocolate cupcake recipes (like my vegan chocolate cupcakes, chocolate mint cupcakes, or my devil's food cupcakes), but if you have the time, definitely give these a shot.  This recipe makes 24 regular cupcakes.


Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp coffee, cooled
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line your muffin tins with cupcake liners
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until very light and fluffy
3. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee
4. In a third bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt
5. Add the eggs (one at a time) to the butter/sugar mixture and beat until well mixed
6. Add the vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture and mix well
7. Add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture to the butter/sugar, followed by 1/3 of the flour mixture
8. Repeat until everything has been added together, and mix until just combined
9. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cups, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of a cupcake
10. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting with your favourite frosting
11. Enjoy!