Description
Delight in these festive Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cupcakes featuring moist vanilla cupcakes topped with creamy cream cheese frosting blended with crumbled Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes, finished with colorful red drizzle and green sanding sugar for a perfect holiday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 10 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Red gel food coloring (quantity as needed)
- Green sanding sugar (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners to prepare for baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer bowl, cream together ¾ cup butter and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in 4 eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 3 teaspoons vanilla extract until well combined.
- Incorporate Milk: Add 1 ¼ cups whole milk to the mixture and stir until combined; the batter may look curdled, which is normal.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed until just incorporated, then increase speed to medium and mix until smooth.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon the batter into prepared liners filling each ½ to ⅔ full for optimal rise.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes or until edges turn lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove and cool completely before frosting.
- Make Cream Cheese Frosting: In a mixer bowl, beat ½ cup butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, and ½ teaspoon salt on medium with a whisk attachment until creamy and smooth.
- Add Vanilla and Powdered Sugar: Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3 cups powdered sugar on low speed until fully combined and smooth.
- Crush Christmas Tree Cakes: Pulse 10 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes in a food processor until finely crumbled or creamy; alternatively, use a hand mixer, though the texture will be slightly lumpier.
- Combine Crumbles with Frosting: Add the cake crumbs to the frosting bowl, switch to paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until smooth and evenly blended.
- Prepare Red Drizzle Frosting: Take ½ cup of the prepared frosting, place it in a separate bowl, add 2 tablespoons milk and red gel food coloring to desired hue. Mix until uniform and transfer to a piping or storage bag.
- Pipe Frosting on Cupcakes: Fit the remaining frosting in a piping bag with a large star tip (or large round tip if the frosting is not smooth). Pipe tall swirls atop each cooled cupcake.
- Add Red Drizzle: Cut a small hole in the red frosting piping bag and drizzle over the frosted cupcakes by moving the bag back and forth while gently squeezing.
- Garnish: Sprinkle green sanding sugar generously over each cupcake to create a festive appearance.
- Storage: Because of the cream cheese, store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. They can remain at room temperature for 1 to 2 days safely.
Notes
- Ensure all butter and cream cheese are at room temperature for a smooth frosting texture.
- Do not overfill cupcake liners to prevent overflow and uneven baking.
- If you don’t have a food processor, use a hand mixer to crumble the Little Debbie cakes, though the frosting texture may be less smooth.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid altering the frosting consistency when making the red drizzle.
- Allow cupcakes to cool fully before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.
- Green sanding sugar adds a festive touch but can be substituted with colored sprinkles or edible glitter as desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
