The Best Homemade Peppermint Frosting For Chocolate Cupcakes
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This recipe for peppermint frosting only requires four ingredients and makes a flavorful impact to your cupcakes. Top a generous amount on a batch of your favourite chocolate cupcakes, and you’ve got yourself a holiday dessert that everyone will appreciate!
This simple – but super tasty – peppermint frosting recipe will become your go-to for holiday desserts! There are so many different ways to use it.
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I’ve been having tons of fun putting together delicious Christmas cupcakes for the holiday season. I recently whipped up some Biscoff cupcakes as well as Nutella cupcakes, and they were a hit with my fam!
Best Peppermint Buttercream Frosting Recipe
If you have ever made homemade buttercream frosting, then you’ll be thrilled to find out it’s a lot like this recipe. The rich buttercream base is enhanced with the bright peppermint flavors!
Use it on top of peppermint fudge, chocolate cupcakes, or peppermint tart.
What You Need
Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Kitchen Tools
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Electric Mixer (optional, but recommended)
Ingredients
You will only need 4 ingredients to make peppermint buttercream:
- Powdered sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Milk
- Peppermint extract
Chocolate Cupcakes as a Base
Think about your favorite holiday peppermint recipes. Almost all of them probably have chocolate in there somewhere. Peppermint mocha, peppermint hot chocolate, even peppermint patties have chocolate.
In order to recreate that classic combination, I used pre-made chocolate cupcakes as the base. The easy vanilla peppermint frosting tastes perfect on top of chocolate cupcakes!
What Happens If You Freeze Buttercream?
Buttercream actually keeps in the freezer very well… so that’s great news if you want to prep your cupcakes in advance or, store any leftovers. Just scoop the buttercream into a freezer bag or a freezer-friendly container and place in the freezer. Your buttercream will keep for up to three months.
How Do You Defrost Frozen Buttercream?
To begin the defrosting process, place your frozen buttercream in the refrigerator the night before you intend to use it. Once you are ready for it, let it sit on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature.
Place the buttercream into a bowl and whip with an electric mixer to make it fluffy and smooth again.
How Else Can I Use This Recipe for Peppermint Frosting?
My recipe for peppermint frosting is full of flavor and makes for a great addition to many desserts. If you’re not in the mood for cupcakes, why not use it as the buttercream in-between sponge cake layers? It also makes a great center for homemade sandwich cookies! You can also use it as a topping for chocolate brownies.
What Chocolate Cupcake Base Should I Use?
We have an amazing recipe for chocolate cupcakes right here. What I love about it is that it’s made from scratch, and the ingredients are budget-friendly and not difficult to find at your local grocery store.
Otherwise, you can use your favorite cake mix as the base of these Holiday Peppermint Cupcakes. Remember: the idea is to create a delicious dessert without any stress! The holiday season is crazy as it is, so take those shortcuts wherever you can!
Easy Homemade Peppermint Frosting For Chocolate Cupcakes
SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 12 chocolate cupcakes cooled down completely
- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- Red frosting
- 12 peppermint candies
Instructions
- Add softened butter, powdered sugar and one tablespoon of milk to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to mix all ingredients together, starting on low and working your way up to medium-high.
- If the buttercream is too dry, add your second tablespoon of milk.
- Once the buttercream is smooth and forms semi-stiff peaks, add the peppermint extract and mix to incorporate.
- Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag with a star piping tip attached. Frost each cupcake.
- Attach a small round piping tip to your red frosting (store-bought is fine) and pipe a stripe going around each peppermint buttercream mound.
- Top each cupcake with a peppermint candy.
More Easy Desserts
If you enjoyed this holiday dessert, here are more easy desserts to make for Christmas!
