The best way to spread holiday cheer is by singing loud, for all to hear.

Or baking. That works too.
Or, better yet, doing both simultaneously.

Maybe you have figured out that I am watching Elf, the greatest holiday movie ever made. Will Ferrell is my life. Good grief.


Since last night was Christmas Eve, my friends (more like cousins, really) came over for our big dinner, and so I made cupcakes. I cannot believe how long it has been since I have made cupcakes.
Since it is a special day, I used Magnolia Bakery's Chocolate Cupcake recipe. If I had my way, I would eat Magnolia Bakery cupcakes all day everyday. But I live in California, so that is a bit of a challenge. Oh well.

To make them, I did this:

Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (see Note)
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

5. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.





Instead of doing a chocolate buttercream though, I chose to frost half of the cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream rolled shredded coconut, and the other half with a peppermint buttercream sprinkled with crushed candy canes. I used the Magnolia buttercream recipe, to go with the whole theme of the cupcakes haha.

Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting*

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.)


*For half of the frosting I added 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract and about 2 drops of red food coloring (for a kind of pink candy cane kind of look).


These ones I just frosted with the vanilla buttercream, then rolled in shredded coconut. I think they look, I don't know, 'snowy', or something.

They were definitely a hit. The peppermint ones got a lot more love than the coconut ones, but in my humble opinion I personally thought the coconut ones were more appealing. Oh well, more for me I guess.

Peace. Love. Cupcakes.