White Cupcakes With Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
This post has been sponsored by Challenge Butter. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love nothing more than baking with and for my family during the holidays. And with so much baking, it’s important to stay very stocked up on butter. Which makes me so glad to be partnering with Challenge Butter and Vons. Let me also say that it’s so important to always bake with unsalted butter…cook and eat with salted butter, but always bake with unsalted so you can monitor how much salt you are adding.
I was able to get all of my ingredients for these holiday cupcakes from Vons. I love being able to use their mobile app for my grocery list, coupons, and even for delivery. You can find the recipe ingredients mainly in the baking aisle and in the dairy sections. Challenge Unsalted Butter is family farmer owned and has churned fresh daily since 1911, which means it’s been a household staple for so many families for decades.
Table of Contents
Below I’ll share some tips for the perfect peppermint cupcakes!
Why do I need to whip my butter and sugar together?
Whipping (whether by hand or stand mixer) is so important to many baked goods, especially cakes. This will add necessary air to your baked goods. It will also emulsify your sugars and blend them into the cakes to make sure they're not grainy. However, you can also over whip, so be sure you don’t whip too long. Anything whipped too long will make there be too much air, and when it bakes it can fall and create a dense cake.
Why do I need to bake with room temperature butter?
So many recipes (and others) call for room temperature butter. This is due to a few things. 1) An emulsion is formed when all the wet ingredients are room temperature and mixing. You are whipping in air to the batter, which will later help in baking when you get that light and fluffy texture. 2) Room temp butter is also able to blend smoother and create a cohesive batter. If you don’t have it room temp, it can become very dense.
How to get butter room temperature
I usually leave mine on a plate on the counter for a couple hours. Or maybe on the oven if it’s being used for something else. If you are in a hurry, you can zap it in the microwave in very short increments. Just don’t melt it.
Why do I need to bake with room temperature eggs for cupcakes?
A lot of baking recipes (mine included) ask for room temperature eggs. This is because a room temp egg is easier to break down than a cold egg. So therefore, it mixes into the batter better. ALSO, room temp eggs get a better volume, making for a fluffier baked good.
How to get eggs room temperature
I would suggest leaving them on the counter for 1-2 hours to get room temp. However, if you forget or run out of time, another option is to place the eggs into a bowl of warm water (not hot) for about 10-15 minutes.
How much batter makes one cupcake?
This batter makes about 28-30 cupcakes. This is based on how much batter you put into each well of your cupcake tin. I try to do about 3.5-4 tablespoon of batter per well. This is about ⅔ filled. You don’t want to overfill or they will mushroom over the top and stick. If you have any empty wells, be sure to fill them with a few tablespoons of water.
How do I make my frosting fluffier?
Whipping your butter! This is why I whip my buttercream frosting for 8 whole minutes. I also think you need enough powdered sugar to make it stiff enough to take shape. It may sound like a lot of powdered sugar, but it’s not all going on one cupcake.
Other Recipes to Try
- Egg Yolk Only Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Christmas Cookie Box
- Chocolate Crinkle Whoopie Pies with Peppermint Buttercream Filling
Love this Recipe?
Did you make this recipe and just love it? Awesome! If you have a quick minute and could leave a star rating and comment below, I would appreciate the support and knowing your feedback! And if you’re over on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your photos!
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup Challenge Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 4 egg whites large eggs and room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract can be clear for a whiter cake
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Milk
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Challenge Unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted 1-2 times
- ½ - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Optional Toppings
- Candy cane pieces
- Candy canes
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare 2 muffin/cupcake pans with oil or cupcake liners.
- In a stand mixer, beat your Challenge Butter and sugar for about 3-4 minutes on a medium speed, until fluffy.
- Add in your eggs one at a time, then add your vanilla.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix your dry ingredients for the cake and mix.
- In 3 batches, add in your dry mixture into the wet mixture on a lower speed, alternating with 2 batches of your milk. ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ of the milk, ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ milk, and finish with ⅓ dry ingredients. Don’t over mix.
- Scoop batter evenly into 24 cupcake liners/wells. Lightly slam the cake pans on the counter to try to get rid of any major air bubbles.
- Bake each for about 15-18 minutes. Check with a toothpick until clean. Pull cakes out when completely baked and let cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Then remove to a cooling rack.
Frosting Instructions
- Using your mixer and the paddle attachment again, whip the butter for 8 minutes on medium/low speed. The butter will become very creamy!
- Add the powdered sugar in 3 batches. The frosting should become very light and fluffy.
- Lastly add in the peppermint extract, ½ teaspoon at a time to mix and taste. If you are happy with ½ tsp, don’t add more. If it needs a bit more, you can add the remaining ½ teaspoon and mix until combined.
Assembling
- Place frosting into a piping bag and use your favorite tip. Take a cooled cupcake and pipe frosting on top of cupcake.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes, add candy canes, and/or powdered sugar. Decorate how you wish!
Sam moak says
I am a mother just starting to bake and I tried this recipe and my kids ate them all. It was amazing at how much they liked them. Thank you for sharing your recipe you are an angel.
Amanda Wilens says
I'm so glad to hear that! Kids are some of the toughest critics. Happy they liked them. 🙂
Erica M says
Okay, so mine didn't end up looking nearly as cute as these, but they sure were tasty! We're getting into the Christmas baking pretty early this year because, well, why not! Loved the crushed candy cane topping!
wilensamanda says
Well, I'm sure they were still very cute and hopefully just as yummy!