Santa Cupcakes
User Reviews
5
Santa Cupcakes
Description
Santa Cupcakes blend classic chocolate cupcake ingredients including cocoa powder, coffee, sour cream, and buttermilk, creating a tender, moist cake with a mild chocolate depth. The buttermilk and sour cream add richness and a slight tang, balancing the sweetness. The batter is whisked smoothly, ensuring an even rise and soft texture. The vanilla buttercream frosting is made by creaming unsalted butter with sifted confectioners' sugar, then flavoring with vanilla and salt, and thinned slightly with milk for spreadability. This buttercream can be divided and tinted with food coloring to decorate cupcakes in festive hues.
The cupcakes bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely before frosting. The frosting is piped with a star tip or a bag with a cut tip for decoration, allowing a playful, holiday-inspired presentation. These cupcakes serve well as a dessert or festive treat, combining approachable baking techniques with a balance of rich, sweet, and tangy flavors.
To measure flour accurately, using a scale is recommended to avoid dry or dense cupcakes. Whole milk yogurt may substitute for sour cream for a slight variation. For less sweet frosting, Swiss or Italian buttercream alternatives can be used. Peppermint extract can be added to the batter or frosting for a minty note that complements the holiday theme.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature, 57g
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature, 118 mL
- 2 egg medium
- ¼ cup coffee hot, 60 mL
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil 79 mL
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 10 mL
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 180 g
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar 265 g
- ¼ cup cocoa powder nice, 20 g
- 1 tsp baking soda 6 g
- ½ tsp kosher salt 2.5 g
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- 1 2/3 lbs confectioners sugar 700-900 g
- 1 lb butter unsalted, room temperature, 450 g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 ml
- 1 tbsp whole milk 15 mL
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2 g
- Food Coloring
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat to 350F. Add papers to a cupcake tin.
- Sift the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Distribute batter evenly into the cupcake papers and bake for about 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow time to cool.
For the Vanilla Buttercream:
- In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar into the creamed butter.
- Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, and milk.
- Separate into 3 bowls. One will remain uncolored. One bright red and the other flesh colored. I used a touch of soft pink and orange but you can choose whichever color you'd like.
- The white buttercream to a bag fitted with a 199 tip. Any medium-sized star tip will work though.
For the Assembly:
- Use a small spatula or knife to smear and smooth some of the flesh toned buttercream across the centre of the cupcake.
- Smear red buttercream onto the top third of the cupcake. I also spread another layer diagonally from the lower right to the upper left for the fold of Santa's hat.
- Use a star tip to pipe a dollop of white buttercream for the end of Santa's hat. Now use the same tip and wiggle it across the cupcake to create the hat's trim.
- Add the two mini chocolate chips pointy side down for the eyes.
- Pipe the beard with the star tip using a loopy motion to give some gentle texture to the facial hair.
- Use a red M&M (logo side down) for the nose.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for precise flour measurement to keep cupcakes moist and tender.
- Whole milk yogurt works as a substitute for sour cream without noticeable flavor change.
- For a less sweet frosting, try Swiss or Italian buttercream variations.
- If you lack a star piping tip, simply snip the end off a piping bag for effective decorating.
- Add peppermint extract to batter or buttercream for a festive mint flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 292 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 75g | |
| Calories | 292kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 2.6g | 5% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 4.4g | 22% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 17mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 261mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 203mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1.7g | 7% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2.3mg | 13% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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