These Christmas Tree Cupcakes are so much fun to make! I baked chocolate cupcakes to use as the base of the tree and then topped them with green vanilla buttercream to make the tree. To decorate the “tree” you can use anything you like. I used mini chocolate chips of different colours, silver pearls and chocolate heart (but stars would work great too here). These were an absolute hit, especially with the children! They look great and they are very easy to make… exactly what you want to bake during the holidays. It is also a great project to make together with the kids if you so desire. Enjoy!
Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 190 gms – 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 115 gms – 4 oz. unsalted butter at room temperature
- 125 gms – 1 cup + 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup buttermilk or yogurt
- 2 tbsp milk
- 3 to 4 tbsp cocoa powder
Vanilla Buttercream
- 125 gms – 4.4 oz. butter softened
- 225 gms – 8 oz. icing sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract or to taste
- Green colouring
Decorations
- Mini chocolate chips coloured
- Silver cachous/pearls
- Sugar hearts
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
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Preheat the oven to 165°C – 330°F and line muffin trays with papers.
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Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
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Then cream the butter, vanilla and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Add the flour and cocoa powder mixture in three batches, alternating it with two additions of buttermilk (or yogurt) and milk. Beat until well combined.
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Put the batter into the lined muffin tray cups, filling each to about half.
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Bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.
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When cooked, let them cool down in the tray for 10 minutes, then put them on a wire rack to cool down completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
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Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for a few minutes and then slowly incorporate the icing sugar, vanilla extract, and green colour. Mix well.
To Assemble the cupcakes
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Put the vanilla buttercream in a piping bag fitted with an open star tip (I used 1M Wilton) and decorate the chocolate cupcakes with it to form a Christmas tree.
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Add the mini coloured chocolate chips, silver cachous/pearls, and top with sugar hearts.
Aria says
I love to make Christmas cup cakes; it looks so yummy!! Thanks for sharing .