Candy Cane Clouds

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peppermint Cream Cheese Icing

People will love your chocolate cupcake clouds with a fluffy candy icing that will be the hit of the party and their dreams.

Level: Medium

Yield: 24- 27 cupcakes

Prep time: 30 minutes

Bake time: 22 minutes

Ingredients for cupcake

2 cups sugar

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 ½ teaspoon teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Line the muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat the mixture on medium speed for exactly one minute.
4. Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be very thin, but that is how it is suppose to look like.
5. Fill liners about 1 inch away from top.
6. Bake the cupcakes for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Ingredients for Icing

½ cups (1 stick, 8 Tablespoon) butter, at room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

4 cups powdered confectioners sugar

½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract

½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 to 3 Tablespoons heavy cream or heavy whipping cream

⅓ cup peppermint chocolate pieces (like Andes Mints)

Directions for icing

1. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.
2. Add powdered sugar (a little at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
3. Add in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
4. Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. Don’t add a lot if you want the icing to not be runny.
5. Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
6. Mix in chocolate pieces until evenly distributed through out
7. Use at once or can be kept in refrigerated. It will keep for 3 days.

Garnish

¼ cup of chocolate peppermint pieces lightly sprinkled on top of cupcake.