Go Back
chritsmas tree cupcakes on a servin board
cookingwithmykids

Christmas tree cupcakes

Christmas tree cupcakes are a fun bake kids will love making and eating during the festive season. Simply add a green buttercream icing to our basic cupcake, and add some sprinkles and the all important star.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Decorating time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Afternoon tea, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, British
Calories: 383
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 150 g (¾ cup) butter, or margarine
  • 150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
  • 150 g (1 ¾ cups) self raising flour*
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
For the buttercream
  • 150 g (⅔ cup) butter, softened
  • 300 g (2 cups) icing / confectioners sugar
  • 25 ml milk
  • A few drops of vanilla extract
  • Green food colouring
  • Sprinkles and/or a star to decorate

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • Freestanding mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • Food colour
  • Muffin tin
  • Cupcake cases
  • Piping bag
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper or silicon cupcake cases.
Mix the cupcake ingredients together
  1. Measure all the ingredients out and add them to a free-standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.
  2. Mix everything together with the k-paddle attachment of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or even some wooden spoons. Mix it until you have a nice smooth batter, but not for too long otherwise they wont rise as well in the oven.
Bake the cupcakes
  1. Divide the cupcake batter among the cupcake cases. An ice cream scoop or soup spoon often dish out the perfect amount with less mess.
  2. Bake the cupcakes for approximately 15-20 minutes. They're ready when they've risen and a skewer, sharp knife or cocktail stick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  3. Remove them from the oven and leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes before popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the Christmas tree cupcakes
  1. Start by making the buttercream frosting. Measure the butter and icing sugar out and put them into a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
    Add the milk then cover the mixer with a tea towel (optional, but it will save a bit of mess!). Start on a slow speed and mix the butter icing together with the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer or hand held mixer.
  2. Once the icing sugar has mixed into the butter and there's no danger of it flying everywhere, add the green food colouring. Start with a drop or two – you can always add more later if you need to to get the right shade of green.
    Turn the speed up of your mixer up and whip it for at least 5 minutes. The longer you mix it, the softer and more delicious the icing will be.
  3. Once it's ready, fill a piping bag fitted with a large star shaped nozzle with the buttercream icing and use a food bag clip to seal the top end.
    Pipe swirls of icing on top of the cupcakes. Start covering the base of the cupcake, then swirl up until you have a nice Christmas tree shape.
    Decorate with some sprinkles and a chocolate star.