12 Cupcakes of Christmas: White Chocolate White-Out

White Chocolate Cupcakes w/ White Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been a busy baker this holiday season, making up for years in the past when I ran out of time.  I REALLY wanted to make this frosting, and I thought it would be nice to make a "white out" white chocolate cupcake.  And I did.  And I made ginormous candy snowflakes to top them.  I got the candy tray at Michael's, and used white candy melts and white edible glitter to give it some sparkle.

White Chocolate Cupcakes (Krystina Castella)

2/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vinegar

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325, add liners to cupcake pan.

2. Combine milk & vinegar to make buttermilk.  Let sit for at least 5 minutes.

3. Use an electric mixer to cream the buttr and sugar until fluffy.

4. Add eggs, individualy, mixing well between.

5. Melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips either ina saucepan, or slowly & carefully in the microwave (on lowest heat, for short intervals, stirring between).  Add the water to the melted chips, and stir.  

6. Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla to the batter.

7. Combine remaining dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add this slowly to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk (milk & vuiegar) from step 2.  

8.  Fill liners full.  These cupcakes are very dense, and should bake for 22-25 minutes.  Check with a stick-when stick comes out clean, they're done!

White-Chocolate Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

(recipe found here)

6 ounces white chocolate, (chips easy to deal with)
1 package cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1. Place the white chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it is smooth. Set the chocolate aside to cool.  (repeat as necessary until melted.)
2. Place the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined, 30 seconds. Stop the machine. Add the melted white chocolate and blend on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Add the peppermint extract and 1/2 cup of sugar.  Blend, add keep adding sugar until desired consistency is reached. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the frosting is fluffy,