Description
These festive Christmas Tree Cupcakes are surprisingly easy to make and are sure to bring joy to your holiday table! Topped with vibrant green frosting and golden sprinkles, they’re perfect for celebrations and a fun activity for all ages.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 prepared vanilla cupcakes (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring
- Gold star sprinkles
- Assorted golden nonpareils or sanding sugar
- Ice cream cones (flat-bottomed, 1 per cupcake)
Instructions
- Ensure your cupcakes are completely cooled before decorating.
- To make the buttercream frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract, and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, add a little more milk (1 teaspoon at a time). If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Add a few drops of green gel food coloring to the buttercream and mix until you achieve your desired shade of green.
- Take one cooled cupcake. Place an ice cream cone upside down on top of the cupcake, pressing gently to secure it.
- Using an offset spatula or a small knife, spread a thin layer of green frosting all over the ice cream cone and the top of the cupcake, ensuring the cone is fully covered. This creates a base layer for your tree.
- Transfer the remaining green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip (such as an Ateco 1M or Wilton 21).
- Starting from the bottom of the ice cream cone, pipe small rosettes or stars upwards, overlapping slightly, to create the branches of the Christmas tree. Continue piping until the entire cone is covered, forming a tree shape.
- Carefully place a gold star sprinkle on top of each “tree” as the tree topper.
- Decorate the trees with assorted golden nonpareils or sanding sugar to resemble festive lights and ornaments.
- Repeat the process for the remaining cupcakes.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
- For extra stability, you can secure the ice cream cone to the cupcake with a dab of frosting before spreading the base layer.
- Feel free to experiment with different sprinkle colors and shapes to customize your Christmas trees!
- If you don’t have gel food coloring, liquid food coloring can work, but you may need more to achieve a vibrant green, which could slightly alter the frosting’s consistency.
- These cupcakes are best enjoyed within 2 days.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: N/A (assuming pre-made cupcakes)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking, Decorating
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Protein: 2g
