½-1teaspoonpeppermint extractdepeneding on your preference
1 ¼cups(140 g) cake flourspooned and leveled
¾teaspoonbaking powder
⅛teaspoonbaking soda
¼teaspoonsalt
½cup(120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache
3oz(85 g) white chocolate bar, choppedLindt
¼cup(40 g) peppermint chipsAndes
3tbsps(45 ml) heavy whipping cream
For the White Chocolate Buttercream
¾cup(168 g) unsalted butter, softened
⅛teaspoonsalt
2oz(56 g) white chocolate, melted and slightly cooledLindt
2cups(270 g) powdered sugar, sifted
¼teaspoonpeppermint extract
2-4tbspscrushed candy canes for sprinkling on top
Instructions
For the Peppermint Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Cream together with an electric mixer until fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
Then add in the egg whites, vanilla and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth and pale in color, about 1 minute.
In a small bowl sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Alternate adding the buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Mix until everything is combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners. Each should be about ¾ way full.
Bake the cupcakes for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache
Add the chopped white chocolate, peppermint chips and heavy cream to a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave in 20 second intervals until everything is melted together. Stir after each 20 second interval.
Let the ganache cool until it has thickened and is no longer runny. Stir as it is cooling. This can take up to 20 minutes.
For the White Chocolate Buttercream
Add the softened butter and salt to a medium sized bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high until it is pale in color and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes
Add in the melted and slightly cooled white chocolate. It should be liquid and about room temperature. Mix until fluffy again, 1-2 minutes.
Then add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time. Mix until the frosting is light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
Assembling the Cupcakes
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip.
Transfer the cooled ganache to a piping bag and cut a bit of the end off.
When the cupcakes are cooled, remove a bit of the center of each. A cupcake corer is great for this.
Fill each cupcake with the peppermint ganache.
Then, pipe a generous amount of frosting onto each cupcake.
Sprinkle candy cane pieces over the tops of the cupcakes, then serve!
Notes
The cupcakes will stay fresh for up to three days in an air tight container. I recommend only sprinkling crushed candy canes over the cupcakes right before eating. The candy cane pieces tend to melt as they sit on top of the cupcakes.Measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. (Trust me, I've learned the hard way that I need to measure properly!) Instead sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of cake flour equals 114 grams.Make sure all your wet ingredients are room temperature. You'll have the best textured cupcakes when the ingredients are room temperature instead of cold. Cold wet ingredients can make any kind of cake/cupcakes turn out "gummy".A cupcake corer will really come in hand when assembling these cupcakes! It removes the centers of the cupcakes evenly and quickly!
Keyword chocolate peppermint, Christmas, peppermint, white chocolate, white chocolate peppermint