Small-batch Chocolate Cupcakes With Peppermint Buttercream

Steps

1. 1Chocolate Cupcakes
2. 2Preheat the oven to 350°Line your cupcake pan with 4 cupcake liners.
3. 3In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter until it’s mostly melted. Add the semi-sweet chocolate and vegetable oil and microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring after each, until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir and set aside to cool.
4. 4In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
5. 5In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk in the cooled chocolate (if it is not cooled it will scramble the egg), until well combined.
6. 6Stir in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
7. 7Whisk in the milk and coffee until smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, filling just under three-fourths full. If you have leftover batter, discard it.
8. 8Bake for 16 to 19 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake center comes out clean.
9. 9Cool the cupcakes in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely, for about 15 minutes, before making the buttercream.
10. 10Peppermint Buttercream
11. 11Whisk together softened butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract. If needed, whisk in 1 teaspoon of cream or milk at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency.
12. 12Divide the frosting in half and add red food coloring to half of the frosting, mixing until color is uniform.
13. 13Drape 2 piping bags or disposable plastic bags open over 2 cups and fill one bag with white frosting and one with red.
14. 14If using piping bags: Fit the third piping bag with the piping tip. Squeeze the frosting-filled bags together and slip them into the third bag. Remove them, snip the tips off both bags of frosting, and place them back into the third bag, lining them up so they sit evenly at the bottom.
15. 15If using plastic bags:Place both frosting-filled plastic bags into a third and position them so the bags sit together in one corner. Squeeze the frosting down so it is gathered down at the point of the bags and snip the edges off all three at once.
16. 16Starting on the outside edge of the cooled cupcakes, pipe swirls of frosting onto each and enjoy!