Christmas Tree Cupcakes made with box cake mix, homemade buttercream icing and fun sprinkles make a fun, festive holiday treat!
How cute are these Christmas Tree Cupcakes? They're so easy to make; especially with taking a few shortcuts like making cupcakes out of boxed cake mix. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, but for those of us who do, making festive desserts is half the fun!
When the kids were young, we were lucky if we got in one baking day before the holidays. Even then, it was mostly cookies. We'd sit on the floor and peruse the hundreds of recipes I had to decide which ones we'd make.
Everyone does have their favorites and some of our must haves are Italian Anise Cookies, Oreo Truffles, Walnut Crescents, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Christmas Crack and White Chocolate Cranberry; which I've yet to post a recipe for on the blog. I promise, I'll take pictures this year to share with you in the future!
Now that the kids are no longer kids; I have a little more time on my hands to play around with some fun holiday recipes. Recently, I tried my hand at Gingerbread Muffins and have a few new recipes coming up soon for Peppermint Layer Cake, Santa Hats and Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies.
You're going to love them so don't forget to check out the Christmas category under the recipe index so you won't miss them!
Equipment Needed
- 2- 12 cup Cupcake Pans
- 24 Cupcake Liners
- 2- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer (stand or handheld)
- Cooling Rack
- Decorators Pastry/Piping Bag with Star Tip
Ingredients Needed
- Devil Food Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Water
- Canola Oil
- Butter
- Confectioner's Sugar
- Milk
- Green Food Coloring
- Sugar Ice Cream Cones (the ones with the pointy end)
- Gold Sprinkles
- White Decorating Sugar Crystals
If you really want to make this recipe even easier, use canned vanilla frosting instead of making homemade buttercream.
How do you make Christmas Tree Cupcakes?
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; then add cupcake liners to the pan. Blend cake mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened; then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
Fill the batter ⅔ of the way up to the top of each liner; repeat for all. Bake 18-21 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before decorating.
To make the buttercream, beat the butter with an electric mixer; then add the confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk and blend until fluffy and white.
Divide the butter cream into two separate bowls so that one half remains white; then add the green food coloring to the other half and beat until the food coloring is dispersed evenly.
Coat he top of the cupcakes with the white butter cream; then add the sugar cones upside down on top of the cupcake. Add the green buttercream to a piping bag; then using the star tip, pipe the buttercream on top of the cone so that it resembles a tree.
Repeat for all cupcakes. Decorate each cone with decorators sugar and gold sprinkles.
Storage
You can store these Christmas Tree Cupcakes at room temperature for up to two days. To make ahead, you can prepare the cupcakes, allow to cool; then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to serve, defrost; then decorate with the buttercream and decorations. Not only are these chocolate cupcakes adorable, they're super tasty too. Merry Christmas!
VISIT THE RECIPE INDEX TO SEARCH FOR MORE RECIPES BY CATEGORY.
More Christmas Recipes
- Christmas Appetizer Recipes
- Cookies & Holiday Baking
- Sugar Cookie Frosting
- Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Christmas Crack
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Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1- (16.5-ounce) box dunkin hines devil food cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup cold water
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- prepared buttercream
- 24 sugar ice cream cones
- gold sprinkles
- white decorating sugar crystals
For the Buttercream
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 6 cups confectioners sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- green food coloring (desired color preference)
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; then add cupcake liners to the pan.
- Blend cake mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until moistened; then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Fill the batter ⅔ of the way up to the top of each liner; repeat for all.
- Bake 18-21 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before decorating.
For the Buttercream
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer; then add the confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk and blend until fluffy and white.
- Divide the butter cream into two separate bowls so that one half remains white; then add the green food coloring to the other half and beat until the food coloring is dispersed evenly.
- Coat he top of the cupcakes with the white butter cream; then add the sugar cones upside down on top of the cupcake.
- Add the green buttercream to a piping bag; then using the star tip, pipe the buttercream on top of the cone so that it resembles a tree. Repeat for all cupcakes.
- Decorate each cone with decorators sugar and gold sprinkles.
- You can store these Christmas Tree Cupcakes at room temperature for up to two days. To make ahead, you can make the cupcakes, allow to cool; then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to serve, defrost; then decorate with the buttercream and decorations.
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