Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Festive. Decadent. Divine! An indulgent chocolate peppermint cupcake that is a simple and fun addition to any holiday dessert table!
These rich chocolate cupcakes are filled with mint chocolate mousse and topped with marshmallow frosting to create my new favourite cupcakes to make over the holidays!
There are 3 delicious components to make these Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes!
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Mint Chocolate Mousse (Milk Chocolate, Heavy Cream, Peppermint Extract)
- Marshmallow Frosting (Heated egg whites with sugar, cream of tartar and salt)
Let’s make some Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes!
1. Chocolate Cupcakes:
Start by preheating your oven to 350F. Line cupcake/muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
Follow our simple, one-bowl recipe instructions to make Easy Chocolate Cupcakes!
Bake cupcakes for ~22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow cupcakes to cool and set aside until you have prepared the Mint Chocolate Mousse!
2. Mint Chocolate Mousse
To make the decadent peppermint chocolate mousse, start by roughly chopping milk chocolate. Place chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl.
In a microwave safe bowl/large cup, heat the heavy cream. (Note: Be sure to heat cream for 30 seconds at a time to ensure the mixture does not boil over!)
Pour hot cream over chocolate and allow the mixture to sit for 3-5 minutes.
Slowly begin mixing melted chocolate and cream with a spoon or whisk until smooth. (Note: the mixture will initially be quite lumpy but keep on mixing! It will become smooth!)
Refrigerate the chocolate mixture until it cools, stirring every 10 minutes to minimize lumps along the way.
When the chocolate mixture is cool, transfer the mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until it becomes whipped and fluffy. Set your mousse aside.
You’re ready to fill the cupcakes!
Scoop out the centres of each cupcake and insert ~ 1-2 tbs of the mousse to fill each cupcake. Set filled cupcakes aside. It is now time to prepare the Mint Marshmallow frosting!
3. Mint Marshmallow Frosting
In a heat safe bowl/the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar with egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Whisk the mixture over low heat in a double boiler or a saucepan filled with simmering water.
Continue to mix until mixture is frothy and sugar has dissolved. (Note: If you rub the mixture between your fingers you should not feel any sugar granules, this will take 5-10 minutes.)
Remove from heat and transfer to a stand mixer. Beat on high speed until stiff, glossy, peaks are formed. Add vanilla, peppermint, mix once more, and set aside.
You’re ready to decorate!
When I was decorating these cupcakes, I split the marshmallow frosting into two parts and added a a few tablespoons of melted chocolate to one part to create a cocoa swirl when piped together. I then added crushed candy canes to the sides of each cupcake!
Also, since the Mint Marshmallow Frosting is heat stable it can be torched for an extra marshmallow-y touch! (I torched the cupcake tops first before adding the candy cane rim)
Have fun decorating!
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Equipment
- large bowl
- Heat-proof Bowls
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup Flour All-purpose
- 1 cup Sugar Granulated
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder Dutch processed/Superior Red
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 3/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Milk of your choice!
- 1/4 cup Canola Oil or other light vegetable oil
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 cup Hot Water Boiled
Mint Chocolate Mousse
- 10 oz Milk Chocolate chopped
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 tsp Peppermint Extract
Toasted Meringue Frosting
- 4 Egg Whites
- 1 cup Sugar Granulated
- 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Peppermint Extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line cupcake/muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Sift cocoa powder into flour mixture.
- To the flour mixture, directly add egg, vegetable oil, vanilla, and milk. Mix until well incorporated and mixture is a thick, glossy, dark brown paste.
- Add boiling water to the mixture. (slowly)
- Gently stir until the mixture transitions from a paste consistency to a thin liquid consistency.
- Pour approximately ¼c of batter into each cupcake liner.
- Bake cupcakes for ~22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the cupcake/muffin pans and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Mint Chocolate Mousse
- Roughly chop milk chocolate and place into a heat proof bowl.
- Heat cream in a microwave safe bowl/large cup, 30 seconds at a time to ensure mixture does not boil over!
- Pour hot cream over chocolate. Allow mixture to rest for 3-5 minutes. Slowly begin mixing mixture with a spoon until smooth.
- Refrigerate the ganache until it cools, stirring every 10 minutes to minimize lumps along the way.
- When the chocolate mixture is cool, transfer mixture to a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until whipped and fluffy. Set aside.
- You're ready to fill the cupcakes!
- Scoop out the centres of each cupcake and insert ~ 1 tbs of the mousse to fill the centre. Set aside and it is now time to prepare the marshmallow frosting!
Mint Marshmallow Frosting
- In a heat safe bowl/the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar with egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Whisk the mixture over low heat in a double boiler or a saucepan filled with simmering water.
- Continue to heat mixture, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved (no longer feels grainy to the touch).
- Remove from heat and transfer to a stand mixer. Beat on high speed until stiff, glossy, peaks are formed. Add vanilla, peppermint, mix once more, and set aside.
- You're ready to decorate! (Add chocolate or festive food colouring to the frosting, crushed candy canes, or use your favourite piping tips!)
Is there a way to make a vanilla version of this?
Hi Kristi, I haven’t tried this recipe without chocolate as it is brownie based however I do think a chewy vanilla “blondie cookie” would be delicious and might get at what you are looking for. I can work on a recipe for that. Thanks for your comment and happy baking! – Sofia