Vanilla peppermint cupcakes with white chocolate frosting swirled on top. Sparkling sugar and crushed candy canes finish these festive Christmas cupcakes!

Oh wait, where is the red food coloring? How can I make a lovely swirl frosting in the shades of red, pink and white? There is almost nothing in my cupboard for red frosting. But I have green. A whole bottle of green. Can the icing be whirlpools of white and green? Or does it look like spearmint frosting? Does anyone care? Why do I feel weird about icing now? Is that my left shoe under the Christmas tree?

This is the second day I forgot to add sugar after baking the chocolate cake.

I applied the green and white swirl frosting and liked the result. They still remind me of spearmint instead of mint, but I am definitely the only person who cares. Pure red, green or white frosting... No matter how you decorate, these mint and white chocolate cupcakes taste like Christmas. (By the way...I have made them with red and white swirls, they are very interesting!)

cupcakes start with my vanilla cupcakes. We will remove the vanilla pods and add mint extract. We are going to cover the cupcakes with white chocolate frosting. We will also add a little mint extract to the frosting. I promise it is not overwhelming!

For the icing, melt real white chocolate and whipped into a vanilla cream base. Produce the smoothest, silkiest frosting you've ever tasted. It's not fluffy at all, like thick, pure white chocolate.

Description

White Chocolate Mint Cupcakes are soft and fluffy with amazing white chocolate frosting!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners – this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside. Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract.

Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not overmix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.

Pour/spoon the batter into the liners – fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting: Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave, melt in 20 second increments stopping and stirring until completely smooth. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Switch to medium-high speed and beat in the confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Once combined, switch to low speed and slowly pour the white chocolate in with the mixer running. Taste. Add the salt if you’d like. (I always do. You can add a pinch extra if you want, too.)

Frost cooled cupcakes however you’d like. See note for the swirled frosting. Top with crushed candy canes and coarse sugar sprinkles, if desired.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.