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Weโre back on the cake mix bandwagon, my friends!โbut this time: ย chocolate cake mix. ย These cupcakes require 1 cup of cake mix from a box of chocolate devilโs food cake mix. ย If youโre curious about the exact type of cake mix, here is a link.
Do not buy cake mix that comes with a pudding or chocolate sauce packet. ย Chocolate cake mix that says โthe pudding is already in the mixโ is totally fine. ย I feel like I shouldnโt have to say this, but just in case you were thinking it: ย no, brownie mix will not work. ย But thanks for the idea, I will definitely work on some scaled down desserts using a brownie mix in the future!
This recipe makes just 6 chocolate cupcakes. ย They bake up perfectly, and the ganache dip with crushed candy canes couldnโt be easier. ย I had leftover crushed candy canes from myย Peppermint Mochaย Affogato,ย and instantly knew that their destiny was a wet pool of ganache.
I can think of lots of occasions where you want to give someone a sweet treat, but 2 dozen cupcakes is overkill. ย Everyone loves a small batch of cupcakes. ย You can dress up the top of the cupcakes however you like: ย instead of crushed candy canes, would you fancy sprinkles? ย Mini chocolate chips? ย Chopped nuts? ย Endless possibilities from 1 cup of cake mix. ย Life is sweet, isnโt it?
Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cupcakes {cake mix}
Yield: 6 cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate devil's food dry cake mix
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cream
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350, and line a cupcake pan with 6 cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, egg, water and cream. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute.
- Divide the cake batter into the 6 cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butter in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each. It should only take 2-3 pulses. Stir in the peppermint extract once the mixture is melted smooth.
- Have the crushed candy canes ready in a bowl. Dip the top of each cupcake in the melted chocolate, and then roll in the crushed candy canes.
- You can let the chocolate harden in the fridge for 30 minutes, but do not store the cupcakes in the fridge any longer than that because the candy canes will weep.
Notes
This recipe starts with a small portion of boxed cake mix! Save the rest for another recipe, and search for other recipes to use it in my cake mix recipes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 588Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 675mgCarbohydrates: 97gFiber: 2gSugar: 59gProtein: 7g
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Hi! I was just wondering, if I put this batter into mini springform pans, how many would I need? I want to order pans and they come in a three pack or four. Just trying to figure out what I would need. Thank you so much for your time! =)
Hi Amanda!
Thanks for writing.
I literally have no idea. Do you know how much batter the springform pans hold? Does it look like the same size as cupcakes? Personally, I wouldnโt bake these in springform pans. Cupcake batter is meant to cling to the sides of the cupcake wrappers and climb up to help them rise. I canโt say this recipe will work in an alternate pan because I havenโt tried it. I would make cheesecakes in spring form pans :) I have a few of those recipes on this site :)
Best of luck!
Hi Christina,
I love your website and have made many recipes to satisfy my sweet tooth. I love that the portions are small; makes me feel less guilty that I am baking so much. I am celebrating my sons birthday next week and I got the idea to make 5 types of cupcakes because its his 5th birthday. Your site works the best because I can make small quantities of each.
I am going to be baking them a day in advance. This recipe mentions that the cupcakes should not be in the fridge for more than 30 mins to avoid issues with the mint. How do you recommend that I store it? Is room-temp fine?
Thanks!
Could I use mint instead of peppermint extract? Will scaling down on the amount of mint extract help?
Sure!