Easy Candy Cane Cupcakes for Christmas

These Candy Cane Cupcakes are a festive Christmas treat with sweet peppermint flavor and a deliciously soft texture. Topped with creamy frosting and crushed candy canes, they bring a fun holiday touch to any dessert table. I love making these cupcakes for Christmas parties, family gatherings, and holiday baking days because they look beautiful and taste just as wonderful. Whether you’re preparing a festive dessert spread or looking for a sweet treat to share with friends, these candy cane cupcakes are a delicious way to celebrate the season.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Foolproof festive: Even imperfect swirls look Christmassy.
• Budget-friendly: Basic pantry ingredients create the cupcakes and frosting.
• Kid-approved: Children enjoy the peppermint flavor and candy cane topping.
• Make-ahead friendly: Bake the cupcakes a day early, then frost them the next day.
• Two-tone swirl: White and red batter create a candy cane effect.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• Stand mixer: Use a stand mixer, or use a hand mixer and a strong arm.
• Muffin pans: Use two pans for 14 to 15 cupcakes, or bake in batches.
• Piping bags: Use three 16-inch disposable bags for the two-tone swirl. Spread the frosting with a knife instead if preferred.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour – Spoon and level it, or your cupcakes will be dense.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder – Fresh, please. Old baking powder is a silent killer.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt – Balances the sweet.
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature – If it’s cold, your batter will curdle. Been there.
• 1 cup granulated sugar – I use C&H, but any fine sugar works.
• 4 large egg whites – Save the yolks for scrambled eggs or custard.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Clear if you have it, but brown is fine.
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract – Not mint. Peppermint. There’s a difference.
• 1/2 cup whole milk – Room temperature, ideally.
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder – This is my secret for a deeper red. You can skip it, but your red will be pink.
• Red food coloring – Gel is best, but liquid works in a pinch.

For the Peppermint Buttercream

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening – Makes the frosting stark white. You can use butter, but it’ll be ivory.
• 5 to 8 tablespoons milk or heavy cream – Start with 5, add more if needed.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – Clear if possible.
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract – Adjust to taste.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt – Don’t skip this. It makes the mint pop.
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups confectioners sugar – Sift it if it’s lumpy, or you’ll have lumpy frosting.
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder – Again, for a richer red.
• Red food coloring – Gel preferred.
• Mini candy canes – For decoration. Optional but cute.

How To Make Candy Cane Cupcakes

Set aside an afternoon. Put on some Christmas music. And remember: imperfect swirls still taste amazing.

1. Prep the oven and pans: Preheat to 350°F. Line 14-15 muffin cups with paper liners. If you only have one pan, bake in batches. No big deal.
2. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. This ensures even distribution.
3. Cream butter and sugar: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Don’t rush this step.
4. Add egg whites and flavorings: Beat in egg whites, vanilla, and peppermint. It might look curdled if your eggs are cold. It’s fine.
5. Alternate dry and milk: With mixer on low, add half the dry mix, then half the milk. Repeat. Mix until just combined. Overmixing makes tough cupcakes.
6. Divide and color: Pour half the batter into another bowl. Stir in cocoa powder and red food coloring until you get the shade you want. Gel coloring gives a truer red.
7. Layer the batter: Use 4 tablespoons per cup, alternating colors: 1 scant tablespoon white, 1 scant red, 1 white, 1 red. It’s tedious but pretty. Or just plop 2 tablespoons of each. They’ll still taste great.
8. Bake: 16-22 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Rotate pans halfway if your oven has hot spots.
9. Cool completely: On a wire rack. If you frost them warm, the buttercream will melt into a puddle. I learned that the hard way.

For the Peppermint Buttercream

1. Beat shortening: Until smooth and creamy. No lumps.
2. Add liquids and salt: Beat in 5 tablespoons milk, vanilla, peppermint, and salt.
3. Add powdered sugar: Gradually beat in 4 1/2 cups. Then beat on medium until smooth. Add more sugar if too thin, more milk if too thick.
4. Color half the frosting: Transfer half to another bowl. Beat in cocoa powder and red food coloring. If you’re not piping, you can leave it all white or tint it all red.
5. Fill piping bags: Put white frosting in one 16-inch disposable bag, red in another. Don’t fill more than half full.
6. Assemble for two-tone swirl: Snip the tips off both bags. Place both inside a third bag fitted with a large open star tip. Squeeze gently while turning the cupcake.
7. Decorate: Top with a mini candy cane, if desired.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with…

• A cold glass of milk cuts the sweetness and cools the mint.
• Hot cocoa with a candy cane stirrer doubles the mint and festive look.
• An office holiday potluck gives the cupcakes a place to travel well and look impressive.
• A quiet moment after the kids go to bed deserves a cupcake.

Candy Cane Cupcakes

These candy cane cupcakes combine flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, egg whites, vanilla, peppermint extract, milk, cocoa powder, and red food coloring in a red-and-white swirl. You bake the cupcakes at 350°F for 16 to 22 minutes, cool them completely, and pipe on a two-tone peppermint buttercream swirl. Make these candy cane cupcakes for a Christmas party, office potluck, or holiday dessert table when you want a festive peppermint treat.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 16 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 26 minutes mins

Servings: 14 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 cup C&H® Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear if you have it)
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder (see note)
• red food coloring
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (see note)
• 5 to 8 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear if you have it)
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups C&H® Confectioners Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
• red food coloring
• mini candy canes for decoration (if desired)

Equipment

• stand mixer
• Muffin pans
• Piping bags

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

   Line 14–15 muffin cups with paper liners. If you have only one muffin pan, bake the cupcakes in batches.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar

   In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
4. Add the Egg Whites and Flavorings

   Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Beat until combined. The batter may look slightly curdled if the egg whites are cold, but don't worry. This will not affect the final cupcakes.
5. Alternate the Dry Ingredients and Milk

   With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredient mixture, followed by half of the milk. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and milk. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the cupcakes dense or tough.
6. Divide and Color the Batter

   Transfer half of the batter to a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder and red food coloring to one portion, stirring until evenly combined and the desired shade of red is reached. Gel food coloring is recommended for a more vibrant, true-red color. Leave the remaining batter plain.
7. Layer the Batter

   For a striped effect, add approximately 4 tablespoons of batter to each lined muffin cup, alternating the colors in this order: Add 1 scant tablespoon of white batter. Add 1 scant tablespoon of red batter. Add another scant tablespoon of white batter. Finish with 1 scant tablespoon of red batter. For a quicker, more casual design, add 2 tablespoons of each color to every muffin cup instead.
8. Bake the Cupcakes

   Bake for 16–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the pans halfway through baking to help the cupcakes bake evenly.
9. Cool Completely

   Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting. Frosting warm cupcakes can cause the buttercream to melt and slide off.
10. Make the Peppermint Buttercream

    In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening until smooth and creamy, with no lumps. Add 5 tablespoons of milk, the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt. Beat until combined. Gradually add 4½ cups of confectioners' sugar, mixing until incorporated.

    Beat on medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. If it is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar a little at a time. If it is too thick, add a little more milk until you reach a pipeable consistency.
11. Color Half the Frosting

    Transfer half of the buttercream to a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder and red food coloring, beating until the color is evenly distributed. If you prefer a simpler look, you can leave all the frosting white or tint the entire batch red instead of making two colors.
12. Fill the Piping Bags

    Transfer the white frosting to one 16-inch disposable piping bag and the red frosting to another. Avoid filling either bag more than halfway, as this makes them easier to handle and control.
13. Create the Two-Tone Swirl

    Snip the tips off both filled piping bags. Place both bags inside a third piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. Gently squeeze the bags together while piping a swirl onto each cooled cupcake. Turn the cupcake as you pipe to create a beautiful two-tone effect.
14. Decorate

    Finish each cupcake with a mini candy cane, if desired. Add the candy canes just before serving for the prettiest presentation.

Recipe Notes

Cocoa Powder and Food Coloring

The cocoa powder in both the cupcakes and the frosting helps deepen the red color created by the food coloring. Without it, the cupcakes and frosting may look more pink than red. You can omit the cocoa powder if you prefer, but keep in mind that the final color may be lighter.

Shortening vs. Butter

You can substitute room-temperature unsalted butter for some or all of the shortening in the frosting. I prefer shortening because it keeps the frosting bright white, while butter can give it a slightly yellow tint.

Spreading vs. Piping the Frosting

If you prefer to spread the frosting onto the cupcakes with a knife or spatula instead of piping decorative swirls, I recommend making half the frosting recipe. This should provide enough frosting for a simple, even layer on each cupcake.