Livin' la vida Mocha

I think I've mentioned that I'm addicted to Pinterest (look me up! I pin my cupcakes) Anyway, One of the very first cupcakes I pinned was a Peppermint Mocha one. I love Peppermint Mocha's from Starbucks, and I await their arrival every winter. When I saw a cupcake variety, I knew I HAD to try them. Well, over the course of the past few months I've basically been taking ideas from other cupcakers and then putting my spin on them. Christmas time finally arrived, which granted me permission to bake the Peppermint Mocha cupcakes. Instead of adapting someone else's cupcake, I adapted my own! Yeah....I went back to my mochaccino cupcake and I added some peppermint extract, to give is a minty kick. This cake was then topped with a whipped buttercream frosting, flavored with peppemint. The result - a DELISH rendition of one of my favorite coffee beverages. I used a medium blend of coffee in the cupcake, which helped decrease the coffee's intensity, making it more kid friendly. My kids LOVED them, and my daughter has requested this cupcake to be the one that we take into school for her Christmas party. She makes me proud that I'm baking cupcakes. Call me cheesey, but I adore the pride on her face when she talkes about my cupcake creations.

Anyway, bake these - take them to your holiday party. Become everyone's hero.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes with Peppermint Buttercream

For the cupcake:
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 c dutch processed cocoa (I used Valrhona, purchased at Sur La Table)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 c whole milk
1/3 c medium-blend brewed coffee, cooled
2 c granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp peppermint extract
3 oz mini semisweet chocolate chips


For the frosting:
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
3 tsp peppermint extract
3 Tbsp water
4 c confectioners' sugar
3 Tbsp whipping cream

For the ganache:
2 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c heavy cream
1 Tbsp confectioners' sugar


Prepare your cupcake pans by lining them with cupcake papers. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together and set aside. In a large measuring cup combine milk and coffee.

In your mixing bowl beat butter at high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 c at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Scrape down your bowl and continue to beat for 2 minutes. Decrease your mixer speed to low and add your eggs, one at a time. Beat in extracts. Scrape down your bowl, then set at low speed. Slowly alternate addition of flour mixture and coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Remove bowl from mixer stand and stir in chocolate chips. Scoop into prepared cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 18 minutes. Cool cupcakes for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

While cupcakes cool, prepare your frosting. Cream butter, shortening, extract, and about 2 Tbsp water together in mixer bowl. Slowly add confectioners' sugar. If needed, add more water, until you are almost to perfect consistency for piping and spreading. Add whipping cream to mixer and increase speed to medium. Beat frosting until light cloudy. Pipe or spread on cupcakes.

For the ganache, place all ingredients in microwave safe glass bowl and heat on medium heat for 30 seconds, until warm. NOT hot...warm. Remove from  micro, then whisk all ingredients together. Once everything is combined and smooth, place in fridge. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, then remove and drizzle over cupcakes. Garnish with peppermint pieces, or candies, if desired.