Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes with Candy Cane Pop Rocks

I am SO excited to finally share these with you! I had to wait a whole 2 days for the sun to come back out so that I could get some good pictures. Two days may not seem like a lot, but when you are excited about something, it is FOREVER! 🙂

Anyways, here they are – Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes with Candy Cane Pop Rocks! Yay! They are soooo yummy!! And who doesn’t love pop rocks? So much crackle and pop!

When I saw the pop rocks in Michaels last weekend, I knew it was fate. My hubs had requested my peppermint chocolate cupcakes for Christmas. I was going to make them all cute with a red and white swirl icing. But then I saw the pop rocks! What better to sit atop my delicious cupcakes than that? So I forwent the red and white swirl and gave the pop rocks center stage to shine!

I think they are so cute and man are they good! I had to hide some from the hubs for the 2 days before I could take pictures so that I still had some left!

I accidentally started eating the leftover icing with my finger this morning when I was taking the pictures. Yes, it was an accident. I don’t know how my finger got into that icing and then into my mouth. I don’t even have to think about it – I just have a gravitational pull to all things sweet. A curse and a blessing.

And on the peppermint note – I went to Target to get some candy canes this week and the traditional red and white swirly ones were nowhere to be found. I found gobstopper, swedish fish and jelly bean candy cans, but no traditional ones. When I checked out, the cashier was like “Man, nobody likes regular candy canes anymore. I haven’t seen anyone buy any!” and then I was like, “I know! You guys don’t even have any! That’s what I was looking for” and then he was like “Really? Dang!”

MY OTHER RECIPES

I know, that’s a lot of’ likes’. But it did go like that. 🙂

Anywho, if you’re looking for a fun treat to make for Christmas that has the holidays written all over it, give these a try. Even if you can’t find the pop rocks in your local store, they are amazing without them.

And since it’s only a few days away and many people are already getting their vacation on – Merry Christmas everyone!!

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes with Candy Cane Pop Rocks

Print

• Yield: About 24 Cupcakes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder (I am a firm believer in the Special Dark)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup boiling water

PEPPERMINT ICING

• 1 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cup shortening
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• 3-4 tbsp water
• Candy Cane Pop Rocks for sprinkling on top

Instructions

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

1. Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and combine.

2. Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients.

3. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture.

4. Mix at medium speed.

5. Pour into cupcake pan and bake 18-20 minutes at 300 degrees.

PEPPERMINT ICING

1. Beat the shortening and butter until smooth.

2. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.

3. Mix in the peppermint extract and 1 tbsp water.

4. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add more water to get the right consistency.

5. Ice the cupcakes and sprinkle with pop rocks!

Enjoy!