Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Tree Cupcakes, featuring moist vanilla cake layered with vibrant green buttercream frosting piped into a tree shape, adorned with colorful sprinkles, candy twizzlers, and star decorations. Perfect for holiday celebrations and family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Batter
- 2 cups cake flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ tablespoon vanilla extract
Decorations and Frosting
- 16 oz. green buttercream frosting
- ¼ cup sequin-style rainbow sprinkles
- 2-3 Twizzler Pull 'n' Peel Candy, peeled into strings
- Star shaped sprinkles
- Confectioners sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside for easy cleanup and cupcake removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, and baking powder to evenly distribute the leavening agents.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a medium-size bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
- Add Liquids: Stir in the milk and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, whisking until fully combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with dry ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Pour the batter into the lined muffin tin, filling each cupcake liner about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
- Bake: Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cupcakes: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before decorating to prevent melting the frosting.
- Pipe Frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with an open star tip with the green buttercream frosting. Start piping a quarter-size circle in the middle of each cupcake, then pipe in a swirl pattern from the outside edge inward, overlapping slightly with each layer. Finish by pushing the tip down and pulling up quickly to create the tree top.
- Add Decorations: Wrap a pull 'n' peel Twizzler string around the base of the frosting tree as a tree skirt. Sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over the frosting and place a star sprinkle at the tree top. Dust with confectioners sugar for a snowy effect, if desired.
Notes
- If you don't have a piping bag or decorating tools, use a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off to pipe the frosting.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cool before frosting to maintain frosting shape and texture.
- For a dairy-free alternative, use plant-based butter and milk substitutes.
- Use different colored sprinkles for varied festive themes.
- The Twizzler strings add a fun fruity flavor and visual interest, but can be omitted if unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
