Candy Cane Cupcakes Recipe

Candy cane is an iconic holiday flavor but it doesn’t often get the same attention as other festive favorites, which we totally get—it’s hard to choose between the many delish seasonal flavors out there, like s'mores and hot coca.

We wanted to give candy cane its moment to shine at Baked by Melissa, so we did what we do best: make candy cane cupcakes!

The Perfect Candy Cane Cupcakes for the Holidays

I like a minimal, pepperminty taste so the crunchy candy pieces really shine through, but you get to customize the peppermint in this recipe based on what you like. Think of these as candy canes for grownups. They’re elevated enough to give as a holiday party favor or a secret Santa gift, plus the kids will still love them because, well, I’ve never met a kid who didn’t love candy canes.

What You'll Need

Hand-mixer or electric stand mixer
Candy Canes
Red food coloring
White food coloring*
Peppermint extract**
Disposable pastry bags
Skewers for mixing the colors
Standard (or mini) cupcake pan

*Totally optional! You can use the “naked” cake color, or drop white food coloring in the batter if you want vibrantly white cupcakes.

**You can add peppermint extract to either the Classic Vanilla Cake or the Icing recipe. I recommend tailoring the peppermint-y flavor to your specific liking, starting with a ½ teaspoon of peppermint at a time.

Ingredients for Classic Vanilla Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter (more for greasing the cake pans)
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 ¾ cups whole milk

Ingredients for Classic Vanilla Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (and peppermint extract if you want!)
3 ¾ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt

How to Make Your Peppermint Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Butter or line cake pans with parchment.
Using your hand-mixer or electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add sugar. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and, if you like, peppermint extract. Mix at medium-low speed and add eggs one at a time.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sea salt, and baking powder.
Use the lowest speed setting to combine ½ of the flour mixture. When that’s incorporated, add ½ of the milk and the rest of your wet & dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into 2 separate bowls. Add 1 drop of red food coloring at a time into one of the bowls until you get a vibrant red.
Scoop your red batter and your plain vanilla batter into two disposable pastry bags and snip off the top with a pair of scissors. Alternate piping the colors in equal layers one over the other into your cake pans.
Carefully take a skewer and drag through the batter to create the candy cane pattern of your choice.
Once you like how your candy cane batter looks, bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake springs back gently when you touch it.

How to Make Your Classic Vanilla Frosting

Use the whisk attachment of your mixer to make the icing. Whip the butter for 1 minute on high speed, then add the vanilla and/or peppermint.
Mix together confectioners’ sugar and salt in a separate bowl.
Add the sugar into the mixer 1 cup at a time on low speed. Whip for 3 minutes until you light and fluffy.

Decorate With Candy Cane Brittle

While your candy cane cupcakes cool, make decorations! A candy cane brittle is the perfect topping if you’re bringing your cupcakes to a holiday event or not serving them immediately because, unfortunately, candy cane colors will bleed into your frosting.

To make candy cane brittle, use crushed candy canes as your brittle base, then drizzle melted white chocolate over the top.

Sift the candy cane powder out and use it in the frosting, or sprinkle crushed-up candy canes on the top of each cupcake. (Or go with a festive sprinkle blend—my personal favorite approach.)