Candy Cane Cupcakes

Candy Cane Cupcakes

Can you find ANY candy more Christmas-y than candy canes? 

HOW my 3-year-old remembers candy canes from three quarters of a year ago - when she hasn't seen a single one since then - I'll never know. But it's the middle of August as I update this post, and not too long ago she asked me for a candy cane. 

Apparently come Christmastime, it's time for another round of these Candy Cane cupcakes! 

Why you'll love this Candy Cane Cupcakes recipe - 

  • This recipe features a light mint cupcake, peppermint candy filling, and a swirl of mint-flavored frosting.
  • Then they're topped with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy and a mini candy cane! 
  • Simple to make, easy to decorate, easy to transport, and sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering.
  • A delicious, easy, and light minty dessert perfect for the holiday season!

These Candy Cane cupcakes are also super easy to dress up with Christmas cupcake liners!

For a lot of chocolate Christmas cupcakes I had to spend some more money and buy the foil liners. The chocolate cupcake  was too dark for the designs on the liners to show. (Fail.) The upside of a lighter-colored cupcake - designs on regular paper liners will show up just fine! 

Super easy and SO delicious! Recipe and links to the supplies I used are below! 

One quick recipe note -

Peppermint candy - when left on buttercream frosting overnight - will often start to look a little 'melty.' The red coloring may also start to run. This won't affect the taste, but it's not a bad idea to wait to add the candy cane toppers until within a few hours of serving. 

(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!)

Candy Cane Cupcakes

An easy Christmas dessert for your holiday table - make these cute and delicious peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Decorating time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Candy Cane Christmas Cupcakes, Candy Cane Cupcakes, Christmas Candy Cane Cupcakes, Christmas Cupcake ideas, Peppermint Christmas Cupcakes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Calories: 509kcal
Author: Sarah H

Equipment

Ingredients

Peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 1 cup milk - I used whole milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup crushed peppermint candy (save and add later - you can crush candy canes or buy crushed peppermint candy)

Peppermint Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese (one package; softened)
  • 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 Tablespoon peppermint extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)

Decorations

Instructions

Peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes

  • First – melt your unsalted butter and set aside to cool (so it doesn’t cook your eggs when you add it!) Preheat your oven to 350℉(180℃), and prepare pans with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, milk and sour cream. Add the cooled melted butter and whisk again until well combined.
  • Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix the batter. The batter will be thick.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full. Sprinkle each cupcake with a bit of crushed peppermint candy/candy canes, and swirl them in a bit with a spoon or toothpick.
  • Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
  • Allow to cool completely before frosting. (This is an excellent time to make your frosting and filling!)

Peppermint Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk and peppermint extract until frosting reaches a pipeable consistency. Add salt and beat until well combined.

Peppermint filling

  • Save out about ¾ cup of frosting to use for cupcake filling, and stir in an additional ½ Tablespoon of peppermint extract and ¼ cup crushed peppermint candy. Set aside until you’re ready to fill your cupcakes.
  • Once the cupcakes have cooled, core them - you can use a cupcake corer, the back end of a large piping tip, or....you can do what I do and cut a cone-shaped core out with a plastic knife. Up to you! I saved the tops from the cores to put back over the filling and make frosting a bit easier.
  • Transfer your filling to a piping bag, and fill your cupcakes with peppermint filling.
  • Pipe your mint frosting in large swirls onto your cupcakes. Decorate the top of each frosting swirl with a mini candy cane and a few sprinkles of crushed candy cane if you’re feeling fancy! (Of note, crushed peppermint candy will get weird-looking and ‘melty’ if left on cupcake frosting overnight – add this the day you plan to serve them!)
  • Done and done! Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g

Did you make these Candy Cane Cupcakes? 

Send me an email and let me know how it went – or make my day and find me on Pinterest or on Instagram and tag @IntensiveCakeUnit in your photo!

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