Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

For the Chocolate Cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, coconut oil and water. Heat in microwave on half power until melted.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Add melted butter mixture and whisk until smooth. Add egg and whisk to incorporate, then add buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Using a pastry bag or a spoon, fill each baking cup about halfway with batter. Bake 20-22 minutes. Let cupcakes cool slightly, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

For the Peppermint Buttercream, in the bowl of a standing mixer, add butter and beat until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, peppermint and salt, and mix until smooth. With mixer on low speed, slowly add confectioners’ sugar; mixture will be clumpy. Slowly add cream, scraping down the sides halfway through. Gradually increase mixing speed to high and beat until icing is light and fluffy for 1 to 2 minutes.

To decorate the cupcakes, using a cupcake corer, remove the insides of each cupcake; set aside and reserve the removed pieces of cupcake.

In a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip, swirl red gel icing around the inner lining of the bag, then fill with buttercream icing about halfway. (This will create a swirl pattern in the icing.) 

Fill the cupcake hole with the icing and top with the cored piece. Pipe icing onto the cupcakes in a swirl pattern. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.