I have to admit that cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts. Each cupie is a little piece of heaven created just for that special someone. Even when served to a group of guests you don't have to worry if someone's cupcake might be bigger than someone else's or if one is better decorated than the other. They all are pretty much the same! I am sorry, but I am definitively one of those people that checks out other people's plates once the dessert is served just to make sure that I didn't get cut short. And by the way I don't share my desserts. This particular recipe was adapted from one of my favorite blogs "Annie's Eats" and was originally posted as a cake but I went for the cupcakes version instead.  A very unique trait of this cake is that its peppermint flavor comes solely from the crushed peppermint candy, absolutely nothing else. And the chocolate cake.....well it is going to sound sooooo cliche when I say this, but it totally melts in your mouth.
Ingridients:
yields about 24 cupcakes

The Cake:
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Frosting:
8 ounces white chocolate (finely chopped)
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 finely ground peppermint candies (I used candy canes)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk the boiling water, chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso powder together until smooth.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions.  Beat in the sour cream and vanilla and mix until incorporated.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix each addition just until incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake pans. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before applying the frosting.

To prepare the frosting, melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth.  Set aside and let cool until no longer warm to the touch.  In the meantime, beat the butter on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer about 30 seconds.  Add confectioners’ sugar and salt, and beat at medium-low speed, scraping down the bowl once, about 1 minute.  Add the cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed just until incorporated, about 10 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the cooled white chocolate until smooth.  

To decorate the cupcakes apply the frosting with a spatula and smooth it into dome shapes. Dip the frosted cupcakes into the crushed peppermint candies rotating the sides and since the candies are very sticky and stick to each other the best way to do this is to sprinkle it with your hands. It will get messy, but it's fun! And for the final touch place a peppermint candy as a centerpiece on each cupcake!

Adapted from: Annie's Eats