I made these cupcakes last year and they were gone so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to take pictures. Luckily, everyone loved them (some people ate two!), so I knew what I was going to make when it became peppermint season again this year. I love peppermint mocha lattes and get them whenever I get a chance. I’ve had the version from Starbucks, but I actually prefer one made by a local smoothie shop called South Block where they have tons of alternative milks. I get my peppermint mocha with almond milk and Intelligentsia espresso and it hits the spot.

This year I upped the decadence and dipped the cupcakes in a dark chocolate mint ganache before frosting them. The secret ingredient in these cupcakes is the type of coffee I used in it. Instead of using regular coffee, I used some very special Kopi Luwak that my friend Elly gifted me. For those that don’t know, Kopi Luwak is a rare and expensive coffee that is made from coffee berries that a tropical jungle cat has digested. Some people were a little put off by the idea of cat-poo-treated coffee, but surprisingly, most everyone embraced it and loved the quirkiness of it.

I used a few different recipes combined together, and the end result leaves nothing to be desired – this really is an edible peppermint mocha! Coffee-infused chocolate cake with mint pieces folded in, dark chocolate mint ganache, a mint cream cheese frosting, and a chocolate drizzle. Some lucky snackers picked some out that had mint chocolate penguins on them that I purchased from my Girl Scout troop.

I also tried something new with my Martha Stewart cupcake liners. The liners look pretty, but bake horribly! To solve this problem I lined them with a white liner before putting the batter in and was very pleased by the result.

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

By nicole Published: December 27, 2012

• Yield: 24 cupcakes (24 Servings)

These treats are a chewable version of the popular holiday drink. Coffee-infused chocolate cake with mint pieces folded in, dark chocolate mint ganache, a mint cream cheese frosting, and a chocolate drizzle. Cake recipe adapted from Bakers Royale

Ingredients

• 9 ounces all purpose flour (2 cups)
• 14.6 ounces sugar (2¼ cup)
• 3 ounces Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter melted & warm
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 tablespoons kopi luwak ground coffee
• 1 cup hot coffee
• ⅕ cup chopped candy canes chopped chocolate mint candies can be substituted
• dark chocolate mint ganache
• mint cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add in the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute.
4. Add half of the coffee into the mixture and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add remaining coffee. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. Fold in chopped Andes. The batter will be thin enough to pour.
5. Pour the batter into 24 cupcake liners and insert in to the oven. Change the temperature to be 350 degrees after the pans are in the oven. Bake 18-22 minutes.
6. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan. Once cool, dip in mint chocolate ganache.
7. Let the ganache set for at least an hour before frosting with mint cream cheese frosting. Drizzle with chocolate or garnish with crushed peppermint candies.

• Cuisine: Cupcakes