Preheat your oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan, and get your cupcake cases ready!
Beat together your unsalted butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy!
Add in your self raising flour, cocoa powder, peppermint extract and eggs, and beat until smooth and delicious!
Split evenly between the cupcake cases, and bake in your oven for 18-22 minutes!
Once baked, leave your cupcakes to cool fully before decorating.
Buttercream!
Make sure your unsalted butter (not a baking spread) is at room temperature! Beat the unsalted butter on its own, for a few minutes to really loosen it and make it supple!
Add in the peppermint extract, and the icing sugar, and beat until smooth and delicious.
If using, add the white food colouring now. Also, only if needed, add 1-2tbsp boiling water if your frosting is too thick to loosen slightly.
Decoration!
Pipe the peppermint buttercream frosting onto the cupcakes with your favourite piping tip!
Sprinkle over some crushed candy canes, and add a mini candy cane to each cupcake!
Notes
These cupcakes will last for 3+ days at room temp!