Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (*)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• food coloring (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350.
• 2 line or grease and flour 6 wells in a cupcake pan.
• 3 in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
• 4 add the egg and vanilla, mix thoroughly.
• 5 mix together the cocoa powder, espresso powder and milk in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.
• 6 add flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture.
• 7 add the milk mixture to the rest of the batter and beat until well combined.
• 8 fill each well 2/3 of the way full.
• 9 bake 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with just one or two dry crumbs.
• 10 cool briefly in the pan, then remove cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely before icing with peppermint cream cheese frosting.
• 11 ice, then sprinkle.
• 12 for frosting:.
• 13 in a large bowl, beat together all ingredients until well blended.
• 14 frost on cooled cupcakes or cake.