Vanilla Cupcakes with Peppermint Swirl Frosting

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This time of year is filled with baking.  I feel like I begin baking the day after Thanksgiving and I don’t stop until Christmas Eve!  It’s just that there are so many holiday parties, activities, and friends to give treats too.  Not to mention that I want to make as many new goodies as possible.

I couldn’t wait to get started baking as soon as I received my Holiday Flavor Bundle from Nielsen-Massey. I tried to think of a recipe that would use all three of the flavors but I was stumped.  I did manage to come up with these Vanilla Cupcakes with Peppermint Swirl Frosting which uses two of the tasty flavors.  It’s really a delicious cupcake perfect for the holidays.

The cupcakes are fluffy, tender, and have a great vanilla flavor from the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla.  This isn’t your average vanilla.  It packs a ton of flavor that really shines through in these cupcakes.  Sometimes I feel like I have to use so much vanilla extract in a recipe in order to taste it but I didn’t have that problem with this vanilla.

After the cupcakes cooled I made a peppermint buttercream frosting with the peppermint extract.  A little bit of this extract goes a long way so add a tiny bit at a time until you have the perfect flavor.  I then split the frosting in half, dyed on portion red and left the other portion white, and piped a beautiful Peppermint Swirl Frosting on top of the cupcakes.

Then, because I can’t leave anything alone, I topped my cupcakes with sparkling sanding sugar and a few festive sprinkles.  They looked so pretty I almost didn’t want to eat them!   When I did take a bite they were pure Christmas.   The vanilla cupcake was subtle until the bold peppermint frosting.   I can’t wait to take these to my next holiday party!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Peppermint Swirl Frosting

A tender vanilla cupcake topped with a bold red and white peppermint frosting.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 dozen cupcakes

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick butter softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 c. milk

For the frosting:

• 12 Tablespoons butter softened
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• red food coloring

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
• in a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until well combined.
• Add in the egg, vanilla, and nutmeg and mix well.
• Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
• Add in the milk and stir until just combined.
• Mix in the remaining flour until just combined.
• Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with the batter.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the frosting put the butter in a bowl and mix on high speed with a mixer until smooth.
• Add in the powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
• Mix in the peppermint extract and milk.
• Divide the frosting into two bowls. Color one of the bowls red.
• Place the white frosting in one piping bag and the red frosting in another piping bag. Snip off the ends of each and place both inside a larger piping bag fitted with a tip.
• Pipe a swirl frosting on each cupcake. Top with sprinkles if desired.

Notes

A Hezzi-D original recipe

I received a Holiday Flavor Bundle from Nielsen-Massey but all opinions are 100% my own.