Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
The perfect holiday cupcake is here! These rich and deeply chocolate filled cupcakes will have your sweet tooth satisfied this holiday season. If you like hot chocolate, cake, and peppermint - then these are right up your alley. These cupcakes are a labor of love but TRUST me they are worth it!
INGREDIENTS:
For the cupcake (cake recipe from half baked harvest btw!!)
1 cup melted coconut oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 larges eggs
1 cup white sugar
2 cups flour
2/3 cup plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup unsweetened coco powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the hot chocolate filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla extract
7 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
For the frosting:
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 stick salted butter (room temperature)
5.5 cups of powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS:
With a mixer, beat together the coconut oil, milk, water, eggs, yogurt, and sugar. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the batter is consistent and has no lumps.
Line a 12 dozen muffin pan with cupcake liners and pour the batter into the pan. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes once done baking.
For the hot chocolate filling: In a saucepan, heat up the heavy cream until hot but do not let it bubble. Add the chocolate chips to a safe heat bowl. Once the cream is hot, pour into the bowl of chocolate chips and and whisk together. Add the vanilla and continue to stir until saucey.
Carve out the top half centers of the cupcakes. I used a small knife to make the incision. Fill the holes with the hot chocolate filling. I filled a ziplock bag with the ganache, cut a small corner off of the bag, and filled the center of the cupcakes but you can also use a spoon.
With a mixer beat the room temperature butter and gradually add in one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Add in the peppermint extract and continue to beat until the frosting is whipped.
Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top. Enjoy!