White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
It’s Christmas cupcake time! If you’re a fan of White chocolate and peppermint, then this recipe is sure to put you in the festive spirit.
A moist and fluffy vanilla cupcake is flavoured with peppermint extract, and topped with a deliciously creamy white chocolate buttercream, then finished with crushed peppermint candy canes. Perfect!
I am a bit obsessed with White chocolate, so I always like to use a good quality White chocolate in all of my recipes. To get that nice and creamy White chocolate taste, I recommend using Milkybar, Lindt or a luxury supermarket version. Avoid budget versions as they lack flavour and rarely taste like White chocolate.
Peppermint extract can be bought in most supermarkets – I got mine in Sainsburys. I use 1 tsp which is just enough to give a subtle flavour, along with the vanilla. It works perfectly.
The crushed candy canes are optional, but I think they just finish off the whole peppermint theme and they look pretty! I used a Wilton 1M star piping tip for the buttercream, but you can also just spoon the buttercream onto the cupcakes if you prefer.
I also had some White chocolate star sprinkles knocking about in the cupboard that I also used, but you can use White chocolate chips, White chocolate curls or whatever you fancy.
Happy Christmas baking!
White Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Light and fluffy vanilla peppermint cupcakes, with white chocolate buttercream and crushed candy canes.
For the cupcakes
- 170 g Baking spread or Butter
- 170 g Caster sugar
- 170 g Self-raising flour
- 3 Free-range eggs medium
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract or Vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp Peppermint extract
For the buttercream
- 270 g Good quality White chocolate I used Milkybar
- 180 g Butter
- 130 d Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract or Vanilla bean paste
- 1-2 tbsp Milk
- 5 Candy canes crushed
Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan. Line a 12 hole cupcake/muffin tin and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream together the sugar and Stork/Butter until light and fluffy- around 3 minutes.
Gradually add the eggs, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and flour until well combined- around 20 seconds. Be careful not to overmix.
Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cases using an ice-cream scoop. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take them out of the tin and leave to cool completely.
For the buttercream, melt the White chocolate in 20-30 second bursts in the microwave on low, then set aside to cool for around 15 minutes.
Using a mixer, cream the butter for 1 minute, then gradually add the icing sugar. Mix until pale and fluffy, around 3-5 minutes. Add the vanilla, melted white chocolate and milk. Mix again until just combined.
Using a disposable piping bag, pipe a swirl of buttercream onto each cupcake using a Wilton 1M star tip.
Place the candy canes into a sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin. Sprinkle on top of each cupcake.
Use a good quality White chocolate such as Milkybar or a luxury supermarket version.
These cupcakes will last for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container
