Mint chocolate cupcakes  recipe
 These cute peppermint chocolate cupcakes are the perfect Christmas bake for a festive party or to take into school. Kids and adults will love the festive flavours and they can be styled as Christmas trees or peppermint swirls. 150g/5½oz caster sugar 125g/4½oz self-raising flour 3 tbsp cocoa powder 2 free-range eggs, beaten 125g/4½oz vegetable oil 2 tbsp milk ½ tsp peppermint extract 150g/5½oz caster sugar 125g/4½oz self-raising flour 3 tbsp cocoa powder 2 free-range eggs, beaten 125g/4½oz vegetable oil 2 tbsp milk ½ tsp peppermint extract 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened 500g/1lb 2oz icing sugar ½ tsp peppermint extract 1 tbsp hot water green and red gel food colouring candy canes, crushed (optional) edible sprinkles (optional) 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened 500g/1lb 2oz icing sugar ½ tsp peppermint extract 1 tbsp hot water green and red gel food colouring candy canes, crushed (optional) edible sprinkles (optional) Method Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases. To make the cupcakes, put all the cupcake ingredients into a bowl and whisk to make a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases so that they’re three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely. To make the buttercream, put the butter, icing sugar and peppermint extract into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with an electric whisk for 4–5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the hot water until you have a smooth creamy icing. Divide the mixture into two bowls to make the two designs. For the Christmas tree design, colour one bowl of the icing using green food colouring, until it turns a minty green shade. Transfer into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe in a swirl on top of the cupcake. Top with some sprinkles to finish. For the candy cane stripe cupcakes, put a large round nozzle into a piping bag and cut off the end. Using a small paint brush, brush the red gel colouring in four stripes in the inside of a piping bag. Fill it with the white buttercream. Pipe a swirl on top of the cupcake so it comes out with a stripy candy cane design. You can finish with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes if you like. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a muffin tray with 12 cupcake cases. To make the cupcakes, put all the cupcake ingredients into a bowl and whisk to make a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases so that they’re three-quarters full. To make the cupcakes, put all the cupcake ingredients into a bowl and whisk to make a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the cupcake cases so that they’re three-quarters full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool completely. To make the buttercream, put the butter, icing sugar and peppermint extract into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with an electric whisk for 4–5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the hot water until you have a smooth creamy icing. To make the buttercream, put the butter, icing sugar and peppermint extract into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with an electric whisk for 4–5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the hot water until you have a smooth creamy icing. Divide the mixture into two bowls to make the two designs. Divide the mixture into two bowls to make the two designs. For the Christmas tree design, colour one bowl of the icing using green food colouring, until it turns a minty green shade. Transfer into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe in a swirl on top of the cupcake. Top with some sprinkles to finish. For the Christmas tree design, colour one bowl of the icing using green food colouring, until it turns a minty green shade. Transfer into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe in a swirl on top of the cupcake. Top with some sprinkles to finish. For the candy cane stripe cupcakes, put a large round nozzle into a piping bag and cut off the end. Using a small paint brush, brush the red gel colouring in four stripes in the inside of a piping bag. Fill it with the white buttercream. For the candy cane stripe cupcakes, put a large round nozzle into a piping bag and cut off the end. Using a small paint brush, brush the red gel colouring in four stripes in the inside of a piping bag. Fill it with the white buttercream. Pipe a swirl on top of the cupcake so it comes out with a stripy candy cane design. You can finish with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes if you like. Pipe a swirl on top of the cupcake so it comes out with a stripy candy cane design. You can finish with a sprinkling of crushed candy canes if you like. Recipe tips Candy cane sweets can soften in damp British air, so do decorate them as close to serving as possible if you are using candy canes.