What it is:
Peppermint Buttercreme Icing
Dark Chocolate Cake
What you need:
Icing for 24 cupcakes
- Two sticks of softened butter (I use Blue Bonnet...not sure that it really matters)
- 2 teaspoons of Peppermint Extract (in the spice aisle)
- 5-6 cups of powdered sugar (more if you want a stiffer icing)
- 2 tablespoons of Heavy whipping Cream
- Pillsbury Dark Cake Mix (eggs, oil, water)
- Small Candy Canes
Use a mixer to whip your butter. If the butter is not soft...this does not work. about 45-60 seconds will do the trick. Once your butter is whipped, add in sugar about 2 cups at a time. If you dump it all in at once, trust me, you will have a powdered sugar MESS! Once you have all the sugar mixed in and blended with the butter, add your whipping cream and then you peppermint extract. Taste test to see if you need more extract. 2 teaspoons seemed to be plenty to me, especially since you are going to add crushed up candy canes to the top. Less is more in this department.
Cake:
I will be quite honest....there are lots of good start from scratch cake mixes, but the Blue Pillsbury box mix is pretty awesome all in it's self. It is moist and delicious. If you don't want to deal with all that from scratch mess then go with the box. For the sake of time, I used the Dark Chocolate Cake Mix from Pillsbury. Make as directed on the box. I only cooked for 18 mins on 350 degrees and it was perfect. You do not want to over cook or the cake will be dry. Go for 18 mins and test with a toothpick. If it comes out clean then you are good to go and they are done.
I let my cupcakes cool for a good hour or overnight if possible. The icing will melt if you put it on hot cake. I store them in the refrigerator overnight and put the icing on the next day.
Final Touches:
I get a Wilton's Tip 1mm from Michael's to pipe with. There are lots of tutorials online on how to pipe using a 1mm tip. Get the piping bags, they work way better than a baggie. People will "Ooh" an "Aahhh" over your cupcakes if you pipe them rather than just slopping some icing on. So if you are going for the "wow" factor...invest in a tip. You will use that one a lot. You can make swirls or rose looks with this tip.
After you have piped the icing onto the cakes it's time for the Candy Canes. I used the small ones. Cut the hook portion of the candy cane off. Keep the top as you will crush these in a baggie and sprinkle on each cupcake. Take the stick part and push into the icing and cake with a little sticking out of the top. Put the cut off end in first not to be seen. Then sprinkle your crushed up (very finely crushed) candy canes onto the cupcakes.
Finished Product:
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