Description

These delightful Christmas Tree Cupcakes are a festive treat featuring moist chocolate cupcakes topped with snow-like white frosting and adorned with green buttercream Christmas trees crafted on sugar cones. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these cupcakes combine rich chocolate flavor with creamy, decorative frosting and a fun surprise hidden inside each cone for an added festive touch.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Frosting and Christmas Trees

12 sugar cones
2 lbs confectioners’ sugar (910g), plus more for dusting
1 pound unsalted butter (454g), room temperature
1-2 tbsp milk or cream (15-30mL)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5mL)
20 drops green food coloring

For the Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180g)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (60g)
1 tsp baking soda (6g)
1/2 tsp salt (3g)
1/2 cup buttermilk (118mL)
1/4 cup sour cream (60g)
1 1/3 cups sugar (267g)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (5mL)
1/4 cup strong coffee (60mL)
1/2 cup melted butter (115g), optional

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake tin with paper liners to prevent sticking and make removal easy.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar to ensure all ingredients are well incorporated and aerated.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla extract, eggs, sour cream, and optionally, melted butter if you want a richer cupcake. Mixing these wet ingredients thoroughly will ensure a smooth batter.
Make the Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients while running your mixer on low speed, then continue mixing for less than a minute until just combined to avoid overmixing.
Fill and Bake Cupcakes: Scoop about three tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner, filling them evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cupcakes are set.
Prepare Frosting: Cream the unsalted butter until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and mix on high. Incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency. Split the frosting, leaving half white and coloring the other half green with food coloring.
Color and Frost Cones: Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of green buttercream on each sugar cone. This base coat helps the piped star dollops adhere better and makes the cone uniformly green for a lush tree appearance.
Decorate Trees: Using a piping bag fitted with a number 30 star tip (or any small to medium star or leaf tip), pipe star-shaped dollops starting from the bottom of the cone upwards to the top to create a tree effect.
Assemble Cupcakes: Spread a generous coating of white frosting on each cupcake, allowing some texture to mimic snow. Place the decorated sugar cone tree on top of each frosted cupcake.
Add Final Touches: Optionally, fill the cones with candy before placing them on the cupcakes to add a surprise element. Dust the cupcakes and trees with extra confectioners’ sugar for a snowy effect and serve.

Notes

Adding half a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the batter enhances the chocolate flavor beautifully; alternatively, peppermint oil can add a festive twist.
Filling the sugar cones with candy before placing them on cupcakes adds a delightful surprise for guests.
Generously dust the decorated cupcakes and trees with confectioners’ sugar to simulate fresh snow for a more realistic and festive appearance.
If you don’t have a #30 piping tip, any small to medium star or leaf tip can achieve a similar tree decoration.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 380
Sugar: 35g
Sodium: 150mg
Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 13g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 41g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 4g
Cholesterol: 65mg