Picture-Perfect Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Moist vanilla cupcakes topped with a festive and easy-to-make Christmas tree. The perfect addition to your holiday edible decorations!

Here is one more holiday dessert recipe for you!

Can you tell I'm in full swing of the Christmas spirit?!? Or maybe I just find any possible excuse to bake more cupcakes and lots of cookies. 

Don't blame me... Look how pretty these look! A frosting-lover dream, for sure.

This is my first time trying to decorate cupcakes this way, and let me tell you: it's laughably easy and soooo fun!

All you have to do is bake the cupcake. I used my basic vanilla cupcake recipe but you can do any of your favorite. 

Make some frosting and top the cooled down cupcakes with a spoonful of white frosting, as a snow base. Simply spread it on top... It doesn't have to be smooth nor perfect.. it will look more like snow!

Top the cupcake with an upside down ice cream sugar cone and decorate with green frosting making little star-shaped dollops all around the cone. Start from the base and work your way around the cone all the way to the tip. 

Again, it doesn't have to be perfect! It will look amazing no matter what. 

Don't forget to dust (heavily!) with powdered sugar, using a sifter. And taa-dhaa ... the prettiest Christmas trees!

Baking tips:

 

You can add a surprise inside the cone. It could be a cute note or extra candies. Who doesn't like a surprise in addition to the prettiest cup cake loaded with delicious frosting?!?

You can  add sprinkles to make tree ornaments. It could be little colorful sugar balls or your favorite. I only added a snow flake on top of the tree as my star.  

You can substitute the vegetable oil with melted butter in same amount. And use sour cream or buttermilk. If you don't have either, you can make the buttermilk by adding 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to whole milk, mix and wait for it to curdle.

For the frosting you can use your favorite recipe. I like this cream cheese easy frosting. It's comparable to buttercream in texture.  It's not too sweet and very sturdy so works perfectly for this recipe. 
Make sure to remove the butter and cream cheese from the fridge so that it will be easier to mix these and make the frosting.

When adding the food coloring to the frosting, make sure to add a tiny bit at a time until you get the color you desire. A small amount goes a long way. I like my green to be very light, but you're welcome to add more and make it darker. 

Ready to give it a try?!? Happy baking!

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD: Christmas Tree Cupcakes with Ice Cream Sugar Cone

Picture-Perfect Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Yield: 12

Author: Manuela Mazzocco

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Moist vanilla cupcakes topped with a festive and easy-to-make Christmas tree. The perfect addition to your holiday edible decorations!

Ingredients

For the vanilla cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cups (150 gr) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream or buttermilk

For the top:

• 12 ice-cream sugar cones
• 1 cup (230 gr) unsalted butter, softened
• 16 oz (450 gr) regular cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 cups (800 gr) powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 or 2 drop green food coloring
• powdered sugar and sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a cupcake/muffin pan with 12 liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk well the eggs with the sugar until light and foamy.
4. Add the vegetable oil and sour cream. Mix well.
5. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.
6. Mix in the sour cream (or buttermilk) until smooth.
7. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Don't over mix.
8. Divide the batter evenly into the 12 prepared lined muffin pan, filling to about 2/3 full.
9. Bake in the oven at 350F for about 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
11. For the frosting: In a bowl, add the butter and cream cheese and whisk well until lump-free.
12. Add the vanilla extract and salt, and mix some more.
13. Mix in the powdered sugar until combined.
14. Top each cupcake with a spoonful of white frosting and top with an upside down ice cream sugar cone.
15. Mix in one or two drops of green food coloring to the remaining frosting. Add just one drop of color at first, mix and add more until you get the green color you wish.
16. Using a star shaped tip, pipe the green frosting all around the cone. Start from the base and work your way up to the tip.
17. Decorate with sprinkles if you like. I only placed one snowflake at the tip of my tree.
18. Add snow by sifting powdered sugar on the cupcakes.
19. Store in the refrigerator if needed.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cookwithmanuela on instagram and hashtag it #cookwithmanuela