Christmas Cupcakes - Holiday Cupcakes for the Starbucks Addict

Christmas Cupcakes Important Public Service Announcement

Christmas cupcakes look oh so cute with candy canes, but I have an important Christmas cupcake warning for you. Candy canes melt in the cold. Take a candy cane, stick it in a Christmas cupcake, and place in the fridge. It turns into a dripping candy cane icicle looking thing.

If you like the icicle effect, by all means stick them in the fridge. Otherwise, place your candy canes in the Christmas cupcakes right before serving.

Many of my tasters pointed out that I shouldn't have used candy canes at all given my "no mint on cupcakes" policy. I saw the candy cane as more of an accessory though, not a cupcake flavor. It was something that would not affect my ability to taste the cupcake and determine if it was good or not.

Unfortunately, when they melted on the icing, I was foiled by the evil mint. The mint flavor (that I equate to the taste of toothpaste) infiltrated my delicious frosting!

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The Bride and Groom wanted me to try creating an eggnog cupcake for them. Like all good Jewish people, I gladly accepted the opportunity to create a new Christmas classic (according to interfaith family, over 1/2 of the top Christmas songs were were composed, co-written or performed by verifiably Jewish artists).

If you love coffee, you will love these cupcakes. It's a bold statement I know, but market research on my friends proved that 100% of coffee lovers loved these (well, at least the frosting).

My mother-in-law, who has tasted almost every cupcake I have made and is also a true coffee fan, said this was the very best frosting I have ever made. My good friend over at Everybody Loves Cheese (and coffee) said she could have eaten the icing with a spoon.

What about the eggnog? The eggnog flavor was definitely there, although it was somewhat mild. It went really well with the latte. Thanks, Starbucks, for the idea.

My only complaint about these cupcakes is that they could have been a bit more moist. These are definitely cupcakes that you will need to have with a glass of milk or, of course, eggnog!

The Eggnog Cake

The cake is a recipe with I modified from here.

• 4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups eggnog
• 1/4 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 350°F. and line twenty-four 1/2-cup muffin cups with paper liners.
Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and with mixer on low speed beat in eggnog and rum until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined after each addition.

The Latte Frosting

I got the base recipe for the frosting from the winning recipe of the cupcake hero clove contest.

I loved the texture of this frosting so much that I had to use it again. I just modified the ingredients slightly to create my latte frosting.

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
  
• 8 oz mascarpone
  
• 2 teaspoon coffee extract
• 1/4 cup ground coffee
  
• 2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar (depending upon how thick you prefer frosting)

Whip up whipping cream in mixer until soft peaks begin to form. Fold in mascarpone, coffee extract, and coffee grinds. Then while mixing over low speed, slowly add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, being careful not to over whip frosting.

The Snowflake Sprinkles

I got those adorable snowflake sprinkles at Shop Bakers Nook. I don't see them there any more, but these are pretty similar, just blue and white.