Christmas Tree Cupcakes
User Reviews
5
Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Description
The Christmas Tree Cupcakes combine chocolate cake mix with cocoa powder and espresso to enrich the chocolate flavor, while sour cream and heavy cream add moisture and tenderness to the crumb. Once baked and cooled, the cupcakes are decorated with a buttercream frosting made from cold butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream, whipped to a fluffy consistency. The frosting is carefully tinted to a deep green that resembles the color of Christmas trees, achieved by mixing green, blue, and black food coloring. The frosting is applied using a piping bag with a star tip to create stacked layers that mimic pine branches.
The result is a rich, moist cupcake with a balance of chocolate and creamy sweetness in the frosting. These cupcakes are visually festive and suitable for holiday gatherings. They should be fully cooled before frosting to ensure the buttercream holds its shape and doesn’t melt on contact. The recipe suggests precise mix-ins and gentle batter handling to maintain an even texture.
To achieve consistent cupcake sizes, a small scoop is recommended for filling the liners, and care is advised to avoid over-mixing the batter, which can affect crumb structure. This recipe serves as a decorative holiday dessert that highlights both rich chocolate flavors and visually appealing frosting presentation.
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil 118mL
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 egg
- ¼ cup cocoa powder 25 g
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional
For the frosting:
- 2 cups butter cold and cut into chunks
- 10 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons (147mL
- Pinch salt
- Food Coloring green, blue and black
Instructions
Make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 325F / 162C and line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
- In a large bowl, combine oil, vanilla, sour cream, heavy cream, and eggs. Then mix in the boxed cake mix, cocoa powder, and espresso powder, if using.
- Scoop the batter into cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Make sure the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer, whip butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- While mixer is running, add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time.
- Next, add vanilla extract, heavy cream, and salt, mixing until well combined.
- Then add the food coloring. To get the Christmas tree color, I used 80 drops of green, 12 drops of blue and a little bit of black.
Decorate the cupcakes:
- Add frosting to a pastry bag and fit with a 1M piping tip. Build the frosting up in a continuous circular motion to create the tree shape.
- Place an edible star at the top of each, decorate with colored sprinkles, and then dust with powdered sugar to ‘flock’ your trees.
Notes
- Use a small scoop to ensure cupcake batter portions are uniform for even baking.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before applying frosting to prevent melting.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter to maintain a tender crumb texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 519 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 519kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 64g | 21% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Cholesterol | 89mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 306mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 110mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 56g | 112% |
| Vitamin A | 739IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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