Sweet vanilla cupcakes topped with homemade buttercream frosting and adorable white chocolate Christmas trees will be a hit at your next holiday party. Delicious and festive, these Christmas cupcakes are surprisingly easy to make from scratch.
The simple vanilla cupcake makes a great base for creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. Top the cupcakes with a chocolate Christmas tree and you have a holiday dessert that’s sure to please!
You don’t have to be Martha Stewart or buy Betty Crocker to make these sweet treats. The cupcakes and frosting are made with everyday pantry ingredients and the Christmas tree cupcake toppers are made with white chocolate.
Let’s take a look at how to make them.
How To Make Christmas Cupcakes
For the vanilla cupcakes, you need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Oil
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Water
Cupcake Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Fill a muffin pan with parchment or paper cupcake liners.
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set the mixture aside.
- Mix milk, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment.
- Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture. Slowly mix the ingredients together until the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high speed and beat until the batter is smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Fill the muffin tins about ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, it’s time to get to work on the buttercream.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk or cream
- Vanilla extract
Frosting Directions
1. Beat butter in a mixer using the whisk attachment until it is light and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Once it has been incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy.
2. To decorate cupcakes, place a large star tip inside of a pastry bag and fill the bag with frosting. Starting at the outer edges, pipe icing around the cupcake top and circle around toward the center.
[There’s a nice little tutorial on YouTube if you are looking for an instructional video on how to decorate cupcakes.]
Christmas Tree Toppers
1. Start by placing parchment paper on a tray (a cookie sheet will do the job). Place lollipop sticks on the parchment paper. Be sure to allow enough space between the sticks to separate the chocolate trees.
2. Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals until melted, stirring in between intervals. Squeeze in food coloring and mix until evenly colored. Carefully fill a piping bag with warm chocolate. Snip off the very tip of the bag to allow the chocolate to flow in a small stream.
3. Make a zig-zag pattern over the lollipop sticks, keeping in mind that you will need to keep 2 inches chocolate-free at the bottom in order to insert them in the cupcakes. Add sprinkles to chocolate trees before the chocolate hardens.
4. Place the Christmas tree toppers in the refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes to set.
5. Carefully lift the toppers off the parchment paper and insert them into the cupcakes.
Looking for more sweet treats to serve during the holidays? Then be sure to check out my recipes for Watergate Cake, No-Bake Peppermint Cookies, and Peppermint Fudge.
Vanilla Cupcakes With Christmas Tree Topper
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 cups butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Christmas Tree Toppers
- 7 ounces white chocolate
- blue food gel
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Fill muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Mix milk, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract together in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Slowly mix the ingredients together until the dry ingredients have been fully incorporated. Increase speed to medium and mix until the batter is smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Fill muffin cups about ¾ full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting
- Beat butter in a mixer using the whisk attachment until it is light and creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Once it has been incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy.
- To decorate cupcakes, place a large star tip inside of a pastry bag and fill bag with frosting. Starting at the outer edges, pipe icing around the cupcake top and circle around toward the center. (Click here for an icing tutorial for beginners on YouTube.)
For the Christmas Tree Toppers
- Melt the white chocolate in a microwave – bowl at 30-second intervals until melted, stirring in between intervals. Squeeze in food coloring and mix until evenly colored. Carefully fill a piping bag with the warm chocolate. Snip off the very tip of the bag to allow the chocolate to flow in a small stream.
- Place parchment paper on a tray and place some lollipop sticks on it. Make a zig-zag pattern over the lollipop sticks, keeping in mind that you will need to keep 2 inches free from chocolate in order to insert them in the cupcakes.
- Add sprinkles to chocolate trees before the chocolate hardens.
- Place the Christmas tree toppers in the refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes to set.
- Carefully lift the toppers off the parchment paper and insert into the cupcakes.
Video
Nutrition
How do you store cupcakes?
Cupcakes are usually best the day that they are made. However, they should be fine left out at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze cupcakes?
Absolutely. It’s best if you freeze them unfrosted and without the toppers in an airtight container for a couple of months. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap before placing them into an airtight covered container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Let cupcakes thaw out at room temperature before decorating.
Be sure to come back and tell us how your Christmas Cupcakes turned out! Don’t forget to tag @SouthernKissed on Instagram when you share pictures of your treats!
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