Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line mini muffin tins (recipe makes 36) with paper liners, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until blended. Slowly pour in coffee and instant coffee granules.

Using a small cookie scoop, fill each cup about 3/4 full of batter. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the pans from the oven and let the cupcakes stand one minute before removing them from the pans to a cooling rack.

For the buttercream:
In a large bowl, cream together butter and shortening until creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar one cup at a time until incorporated. Add salt and extracts and mix to combine. Add water or milk slowly and in intervals, using only as much as needed until you get the desired piping consistency. Add gel food coloring until you get the desired shade of red. Then pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

To pipe frosting, I use a 1M pastry to tip to place small swirls of frosting atop each cupcake.