Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Tree Cupcakes, featuring moist vanilla cupcakes topped with fluffy, green-tinted buttercream piped to resemble Christmas trees. Perfect for holiday parties, these cupcakes are decorated with sprinkles for a joyful seasonal touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes:
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 egg whites
Frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Green gel food coloring, as needed
- Sprinkles and toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Liners: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two muffin tins with cupcake liners to ensure easy removal after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniformly combined.
- Add Wet Ingredients and Egg Whites: To the dry mixture, add buttermilk, milk, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil, stirring well until combined. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to medium-stiff peaks, then gently fold them into the batter to keep it airy.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Using a small cookie scoop, portion the batter into cupcake liners, filling only halfway to prevent overflowing during baking.
- Bake Cupcakes: Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and let completely cool before frosting.
- Make Frosting: In a stand mixer bowl, combine the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Start mixing on low speed to incorporate, then increase speed gradually as the butter combines with sugar.
- Add Food Coloring and Whip: Mix in green gel food coloring to your desired shade. Beat the frosting on high speed for 10-15 minutes until it becomes light, fluffy, and white in texture, perfect for piping.
- Pipe and Decorate: Transfer the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a fluted tip. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes in upward swirls to mimic Christmas tree shapes. Finish by sprinkling festive decorations on top.
Notes
- Ensure egg whites are whipped to medium-stiff peaks for a light and airy cupcake texture.
- Filling cupcake liners only halfway is essential to prevent batter overflow during baking.
- Beat frosting thoroughly for a fluffy texture suitable for detailed piping.
- Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning the frosting consistency.
- Decorate cupcakes once fully cooled to prevent frosting from melting.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: thirty five grams
- Sodium: 150 milligrams
- Fat: 18 grams
- Saturated Fat: 10 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 45 grams
- Fiber: 0.5 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Cholesterol: 35 milligrams
