Are you looking for a cute and easy dessert to make this holiday season? These Peppermint Mocha Christmas Cupcakes are the perfect treat to take to any holiday get together! All you have to do is spruce up a boxed cake mix and top them with home made cheese frosting and some crushed candy canes!

peppermint mocha christmas cupcakes on green with candy cane

Cupcakes are a favorite at our house. I have always loved making them and decorating them…and Mike enjoys eating them….all…in like 2 days… lol. So anyways I wanted to try something different and festive this year so I made the Peppermint Mocha Christmas Cupcakes!

For these Peppermint Mocha Christmas Cupcakes all you need is some Christmas themed cupcake liners, a box of your favorite cake mix, peppermint extract, eggs, a cup of coffee, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and candy canes. You can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe but I was looking for quick (and trying to clean out the cupboards) so I grabbed a cake box mix.

I have a few pointers to make any box mixed taste better.

You can add pudding mix
Add an extra egg
Add coffee

I added coffee and an extra egg this time (hence MOCHA). It just provides more moisture and flavor to that boxed cake mix. First make the mix according to the package adding one more additional egg and 1 cup of coffee ( I use what’s left in the pot from the morning).

Then fill the cupcake liners. I doubled the liners up so that the design shows better! I found these liners at the Dollar Store and they came in a pack of 50.

Once finished baking, let cool and start the frosting. Beat room temperature butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy and slowly add I powdered sugar. Once incorporated add the vanilla and mix a little longer.

Then add frosting to a zip lock bag or piping bag and swirl on top of cupcakes. Check out my Decorating Tips here to help! Then unwrap candy canes and place in a zip lock bag and crush into tiny piece (I used a glass bowl). Sprinkle on top and enjoy!

Peppermint Mocha Christmas Cupcakes

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 box Chocolate Devil's Food Cake or similar made according to package
1 additional egg
1 cup coffee room temperature
1 tsp peppermint extract
Frosting:
1 8 oz package cream cheese room temperature
1 stick butter room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 candy canes crushed

Instructions

In medium mixing bowl make cake mix according to package.
Add one additional egg, coffee, and peppermint extract,.
Mix well.
In lined cupcake pan, fill batter 1/2 way.
Bake at 350 according to package instructions.
Let cool completely before frosting.
For Frosting:
In stand mixer, combine cream cheese and butter and beat until smooth consistency.
Then slowly add powdered sugar a little at a time.
Mix until well combined then add vanilla and mix a little longer.
Add frosting to piping bag or ziplock bag and pipe in circular motion.
In a ziplock bag crush candy canes until small crumbs.
Sprinkle candy canes over frosting.

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