Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cupcakes

Instructions

1. Peppermint Bark
   To make your peppermint bark, first line a baking tray with baking or parchment paper. Crush your candy canes using a mortar and pestle or pop them in a sandwich bag and bash them with a rolling pin. Place your dark chocolate in a microwavable bowl and pop in the microwave for short bursts, stirring every 10 seconds, until completely melted. Pour on your prepared sheet and spread out using a plastic spatula (try not to make it too thin).
2. Then, place your white chocolate in a microwavable bowl and pop it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring every 10 seconds, until completely melted. Add your peppermint extract and stir. Then dollop the white chocolate over the dark chocolate and then gently swirl using a knife. Before the chocolate melts, sprinkle over your candy canes and your chocolate chips and pop into the fridge to set.
3. Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
   Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with patty cases. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and then add the sugars – give it a little stir. Pop the butter into the microwave for a short burst, 10 seconds or so at a time, until it is just melted. Give it a stir with a fork to eliminate any lumps.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, add the eggs, vanilla and butter and whisk together until smooth. Then add the wet mixture into the dry mixture, along with the buttermilk and gently fold until just combined. Add the peppermint extract and stir through.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared patty cases and pop into the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until just cooked through. Set cakes out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
6. Swirled Peppermint Buttercream
   In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth and then sift in half the icing sugar. Add a tablespoon of milk or two to help loosen up the mixture. Add the rest of the icing sugar and continue to beat. Add a tablespoon of milk as needed. The icing should be nice and creamy but thick enough to hold its shape.
7. The separate the frosting into two bowls. Add the peppermint extract to one half and stir through. Then sift in the extra tablespoon of cocoa powder to the other half. To pipe the swirl icing, grab a disposable piping bag fitted with a star tip, add half of your buttercream down one half of the bag, then add the other half. The first swirl or two will probably only have one colour but after that the frosting should come out in a swirled pattern.
8. Pipe the icing onto your cupcakes. Finally, grab your peppermint bark out of the fridge, break it up into small pieces using your hands and place a piece on top of each cupcake. Enjoy!