Christmas in a Cup(cake)

PEPPERMINT MOCHA CUPCAKES

CUPCAKES
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
• 6 eggs, room temp
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup strong, hot coffee
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add eggs and beat an additional 2 minutes.
4. Whisk or sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
5. Mix buttermilk and vanilla together.
6. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix.
7. Beat in buttermilk mixture.
8. Add 1/3 of flour mixture.
9. Add coffee.
10. Beat in remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.
11. Spoon batter into paper-lined cupcake trays, filling halfway.
12. Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
13. Cool for 5 minutes in tin and then remove to baking rack to cool.

FILLING

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temp
• 1 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Beat whipping cream until forms soft peaks.
2. Add cream cheese and peppermint and beat.
3. Add powdered sugar until reaches desired sweetness and beat until smooth.
4. Fit pastry bag with plain tip.
5. Fill pastry bag with filling (will have to do several times).
6. Insert tip into middle of each cupcake and squeeze filling into cupcake.

FROSTING

Ingredients:

• 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
• 4 sticks butter (1-lb), room temp
• 2 egg yolks, room temp
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp espresso powder
• pure peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate and cool to room temp.
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy, about 3 min.
3. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and beat another 3 min.
4. Gradually add powdered sugar, scraping down sides and beating until smooth and creamy.
5. Add melted chocolate and espresso powder.
6. Add peppermint to taste.

*I piped the frosting in a ring around the outer part of the cupcake, filled the middle of the ring with my left-over filling, and sprinkled crushed candy canes on top.
*Makes 36