Christmas Coconut Candy Cane Cupcakes made with chocolate buttermilk cake mixed with crushed candy canes and shredded coconut, And topped with peppermint coconut frosting! If this doesn´t shout CHRISTMAS to you, I don´t know what will.. 🙂
Christmas Coconut Candy Cane Cupcakes
I love baking cupcakes, but the decorating part is my favourite, like when I decorated these pink peppermint candy chocolate cupcakes or these mint oreo cupcakes for Christmas.
I think that cupcakes are such a cute gift to give to teachers, friends, co-workers, you name it during Christmas time! It shows that you made an effort and everyBODY loves baked goods!
I actually think I might make a huge pot of salted caramel sauce and fill these glass storage jars that you can buy in Ikea (which only cost $2.49). Label them with cute Christmas gift labels, and give them away as gifts. NOW I JUST NEED TO FIND THE TIME… 😉
On Christmas Eve we´re going to hubby´s family. Since living here in Spain I haven´t spent any Christmas with my family in South Africa, however I am so thankful for the effort my family-in-law makes every year! Think prawns, we eat lots and lots of prawns!
For me this has become “how Christmas should be”, And I love the fact that I get to celebrate Christmas in the Winter!! In South Africa it´s Summer this time of year, and I don´t know why but it feels so much more magical to spend Christmas during Winter time…
NOW I JUST NEED ME SOME SNOW….
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oil (sunflower or canola)
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon mint extract (depends on taste and strength of the extract)
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup chopped candy cane
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup buttermilk (make your own: 250ml milk at room temperature + 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice, leave to stand for 10 min)
- 250g butter at room temperature
- 1 8 oz (226g) cold cream cheese
- 500g icing sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (depends on taste and strength of the extract)
- shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF / 163ºC degrees. Line the tray with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, cream together the oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.
- Now add the all purpose flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- Into the butter mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in three additions, ending with the flour. Mix just until everything is blended together. Never over mix your cake batter.
- Mix in the chopped candy canes, shredded coconut and the peppermint extract (taste to see if there is enough peppermint flavor to your liking).
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full.
- Bake for 20 - 22 minutes, or until a cake tester or a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the tray.
- Cool completely before frosting.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Gradually stir in the powdered sugar.
- Mix in the peppermint extract (taste to see if there is enough peppermint flavor to your liking).
- Use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes.
- Fill a bowl with the shredded coconut and dip each cupcake (frosting side down) into the coconut, until all the frosting is well covered.
On the 25th, Christmas day, I have a house full of guests coming and I have tons (yes TONS) of things to make. I´m thinking homemade cranberry sauce, turkey, Indian curry, tumeric rice, mini apple pies, chocolalate truffles, malva pudding (because it remind me of South Africa), gingerbread cupcakes, etc etc.. ANY SUGGESTIONS??
What are you guys doing for Christmas..?
I have already made, photographed, edited another Christmas dessert recipe post for you guys, which will go live on the blog on Christmas Day! It´s my Christmas gift to all of YOU!
FELICES FIESTAS!! (as they say here in Spain)
Johlene
xoxo
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