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holiday cupcakes

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes with Marshmallow Mint Buttercream (dairy-free)

December 11, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

The classic holiday flavor is made extra sweet with these Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes! Topped with a Marshmallow Mint Buttercream, these cupcakes have a delightful, light ‘sweet mint’ flavor.

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Peppermint and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Give it to me all year round, but especially during the holiday season. I’ll take it in my cookies, my lattes, and, obviously, my cupcakes. These cupcakes have a light peppermint flavor along with lots of dark, chocolatey cocoa (you’ll want to use Dutched cocoa for these!). The frosting is an easy American buttercream made with marshmallow creme (fluff), which gives it a sweet-mint flavor. I opted for unflavored sprinkles and snowflake candies for my toppings to keep the peppermint under control. For maximum minty flavor, you can decorate with crushed candy cane pieces or even whole candy canes!

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions:

  • All-purpose flour: I like to use the unbleached kind for my cupcakes. For a healthier option, you can replace up to half of the AP flour with white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
  • Dutch-process cocoa: this dark cocoa powder gives the cupcakes a richer flavor and color. Look for the Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder for an affordable, easy-to-find option.
  • Unrefined cane sugar: white granulated sugar will also work.
  • Eggs: for a vegan option, try using flax eggs in place of the eggs. Mix 3 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 8 Tbsp warm water; allow to thicken for five minutes.
  • Oil: I usually use olive oil in all of my baked goods. You can use your favorite liquid oil. Avocado oil is tasteless and healthy. Melted coconut oil will also work.
  • Plant-based milk: any plant “milk” will work!
  • Coffee: this adds depth to the chocolate flavor and you won’t taste any coffee in the final cupcake. If you have no coffee on hand, you can use more plant-base milk in its place.
  • Peppermint extract: be sure to use peppermint extract and not mint extract!
  • Plant-based butter: you can use either stick butter or tub butter for this recipe. Whichever you choose, make sure it’s softened.
  • Vegetable shortening: I like to add shortening to my dairy-free buttercream frostings for structure. If you’d like to omit it, you can use more butter in its place. You may need to omit the milk in your frosting if you do this.
  • Powdered sugar: there is no sub for powdered sugar 😉
Yield: 18 Cupcakes

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes Marshmallow Mint Buttercream

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes Marshmallow Mint Buttercream

Vegan-friendly cupcakes made with dark cocoa and peppermint! Topped with a delicious sweet-mint buttercream, these are perfect for the holidays!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unrefined cane sugar (or white granulated sugar)
  • 3 large eggs (or 3 flax eggs)
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/2 cup strong coffee
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract

Frosting

  • 7oz marshmallow creme/fluff
  • 3/4 cup plant-based butter, softened (see Note 1)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (or more butter)
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • ~1/2 Tbsp plant-based milk
  • 5 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line cupcakes pans with paper liners (this recipe makes 18 cupcakes).
  2. In a large bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until all is incorporated.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs. Whisk in the oil, milk, coffee, and peppermint extract. Slowly beat the liquid ingredients into the dry until totally combined - your batter will be runny.
  4. Fill muffin liners roughly 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F for 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcakes comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack.
  5. Once the cupcakes are totally cool, you can make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the marshmallow creme, plant butter, and shortening. Beat in the peppermint extract and plant milk. Finally, beat in the powdered sugar, cup by cup, until your frosting is smooth and stiff enough to pipe.
  6. Add frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip and begin frosting your cupcakes. To add sprinkles, pause between each cupcake to immediately add the sprinkles (the frosting begins to stiffen quickly).
  7. Finish each cupcake with a centerpiece topping (I chose candy snowflakes from the holiday baking aisle). Peppermint candies or other candy cane candies would be beautiful.
  8. Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  1. Plant-based butter: you can use either stick butter or tub butter for this recipe. I've had success with both. I've found that I don't need the tub butter to sit very long at room temperature in order to be soft enough, so don't let it get melty.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Cake, Dairy-free, Vegan Tagged With: chocolate mint cupcakes, chocolate peppermint cupcakes, holiday cupcakes, holiday desserts, peppermint cupcakes, peppermint desserts, sweet mint cupcakes

Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes (dairy-free)

December 2, 2020 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Sweet and fluffy, spiced cupcakes dotted with tart cranberries! These simple Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes are topped with an EASY spiced frosting and glistening sugared cranberries. They’re perfect for your next holiday get-together, or, you know, Tuesday night.

Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes

Cranberry Chai Spice Cupcakes

Sweet and fluffy spiced cupcakes dotted with fresh, tart cranberries! All topped off with an easy spiced buttercream frosting and glistening sugared cranberries!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • Big pinch of ground black pepper
  • 1 cup plant-based milk
  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup raw cane sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and patted dry (see Note 1)

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, or more butter (see Note 2)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-5 Tbsp plant-based milk
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • Pinch of ground black pepper

Sugared Cranberries

  • 1/3 cup + 1 cup white granulated sugar (divided)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and patted dry

Instructions


Sugar the Cranberries

  1. Add the water and 1/3 cup of sugar to a medium pot and mix. Bring just to a simmer and then remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Add the fresh cranberries to the sugar mixture, coating each cranberry and then removing them to a wire cooling rack. It's easiest to use a slotted spoon to remove the berries.
  3. Add 1 cup of sugar to a shallow bowl or dish. Begin adding the sticky cranberries, a spoonful at a time, to the sugar, swirling them about to coat them in the sugar. Carefully remove to a baking sheet or plate to cool/set.

Make the Cupcakes

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  4. Prepare your cup of milk. Then beat ~1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add half of the milk and beat. Repeat once more and then, finally, beat in the last 1/3 of the dry ingredients.
  5. Fill the lined muffin wells a little more than 3/4 full. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes (mine took 19) or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.
  6. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

  1. Once your cupcakes are totally cool, make the frosting: in a large bowl, beat together the butter and shortening. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add 3 cups of the powdered sugar and beat. Add the remaining 3 cups of sugar + 2 Tbsp of milk. Begin beating and add milk as you need. You want the consistency to be thick and stable to hold shape yet spreadable enough that the texture is smooth.
  2. Add frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite frosting tip (I used a Wilton 1M tip). Frost each cupcake and immediately top with a sugared cranberry, sprinkles, or whatever you'd like.
  3. Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Notes

  1. Cranberries: you can use whole cranberries or slice/chop the cranberries into smaller pieces. I chose to slice the bigger berries and left the smaller ones whole.
  2. Shortening: this helps stabilize the softer plant-based butters. If you choose to omit it (and use more butter in its place), you may need to add less milk to your frosting.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cake

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Filed Under: Cake, Dairy-free Tagged With: chai cupcakes, cranberry chai cupcakes, cranberry cupcakes, dairy free cupcakes, holiday baking, holiday cupcakes, spice cupcakes

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Meet Rachael

Hi! I’m Rachael, a home baker who creates dairy-free, indulgent treats. As a sweets lover and former candy addict, I believe we shouldn’t have to give up everything we love in pursuit of wellness. That’s why I create delicious and approachable desserts that you can enjoy, in moderation, no matter your goals! Because, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a giant slice of frosted cake, sans guilt! Read More…

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