As much as I love holiday cocktails and Starbucks’ peppermint mochas, what I love most of all about this time of year are the holiday cupcakes with those not-usual-for-cupcakes flavors like gingerbread and peppermint. Plus cupcakes are the easiest way to get a holiday party crowd all riled up.

Leyna’s Kitchen has the perfect goodies that not only up a party’s specialness but make great gifts as well. The pink peppermint cupcakes are made of vanilla cake infused with peppermint candy and white chocolate, filled with vanilla peppermint cream and frosted with fluffy peppermint cream. The mint dream ones are a chocolate mint cake filled with chocolate mint fudge and frosted with chocolate mint cream. The pink peppermint stick cupcake is the same as the pink peppermint one except topped with a chocolate-dipped soft peppermint stick. Mmm, refreshing! Each cupcake is $5 and they’re only sold by the dozen (one flavor per dozen) but they’re soo worth it. Plus if you want to really make them special for your party, you can order cupcake toppers with a special holiday message. Turnaround time is about three to four days.

Sprinkles is offering its seasonal sinful trio ($3.25 each/$36 a dozen) through Christmas Eve:

• Chocolate Peppermint: Belgian dark chocolate cake with bittersweet chocolate-peppermint frosting and topped with crushed peppermint candies
• Eggnog Spice: Spice cake with eggnog cream cheese frosting
• Vanilla-Peppermint: Madagascar bourbon vanilla cake with vanilla-peppermint frosting and topped with crushed peppermint candies

Susie Cakes is doing up its spiced gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and chocolate peppermint ones with candy cane topping ($3 each). If you want something to go all out holiday festive, there are also gingerbread men, a traditional rolled Yule log cake and egg nog cheesecake with sour cream topping as well as a gingerbread house that you can get personalized with a family name.

Vanilla Bake Shop has Gingerbread Spice and Chocolate Peppermint cupcakes and cupcake babies. For the party, grab a box of 2 dozen babies for $44 or 1 dozen cupcakes for $44 (24-hour notice required). You can have them dressed up in festive decor, just request it.

Joan’s on Third doesn’t really have any holiday-specific flavors but yummy cupcakes ($3 each) adorned with sugared Christmas decorations. Available in the following flavors: chocolate, vanilla, coconut, chocolate coconut, vanilla with chocolate frosting, spice with maple frosting, pumpkin, carrot. You really can’t go wrong with Joan’s.