Christmas Tree Cupcakes
No big deal guys…but it’s THREE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!
For someone who has a serious sweet tooth, Christmas is – like they say – the most wonderful time of the year. And I’m so excited for it this year. We need it among all this doom and gloom. There’s nothing better than getting together with family and friends to eat, drink, laugh…and eat some more.
So, for all of the keen bakers out there who are looking to surprise their loved ones with something equally festive and delicious this December, I’ve got a new cupcake recipe that will be a real crowd pleaser!
Irresistible chocolate cupcakes, smooth vanilla buttercream, sweet dessicated coconut and a crunchy little Christmas tree topper…what’s not to love?!
INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
175g plain flour
1tsp baking soda
225g caster sugar
60g cocoa powder
175g softened butter
1/4tsp salt
1tsp ground coffee
2 large eggs (room temperature)
175ml milk
2tbsp sour cream
1tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream:
250g unsalted butter
500g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
2-3tbsp milk
100g desiccated coconut
Christmas Trees:
75g unsalted butter
175g icing sugar (plus more for dusting)
¼ TSP vanilla extract
Green food colouring
Assorted sprinkles
Edible glitter (optional)
METHOD
- Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F, gas mark 4) and place 12 cupcake cases into a muffin tin.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, cocoa powder and coffee in a large bowl and whisk together. Add the butter and mix to fine crumbs. In a jug, whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream and vanilla together. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Divide the cupcake batter between the prepared cupcake cases, filling to about two thirds of the way. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Allow your cupcakes to cool for around 10 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While your cupcakes are cooling, make your buttercream. Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the butter on a low-medium speed for five minutes, until it goes pale and gains some volume. Sift in the icing sugar about 100g at a time, beating on a low setting between each addition. Add a couple of tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract, and give it one final mix.
- Repeat this process with the buttercream for your Christmas trees, and add green food colouring. Start by adding a few drops and build it up from there – your trees can be as dark or light as you want.
- Once your cupcakes have cooled, spoon the white buttercream into a piping bag. You can either use a large round nozzle or simply cut off the end of the bag. Pipe a generous dollop of buttercream onto each cupcake. Pour the dessicated coconut into a bowl and gently dunk each cupcake in, completely covering the buttercream.
- Take twelve ice cream cones and cut off the ends, about an inch or two from the tip. Push the cone pieces a few millimetres into the middle of each cupcake. Spoon your green buttercream into a separate piping bag fitted with a small star tip, and start piping little stars onto the surface of the cones. Start at the bottom and work your way in layers to the top.
- Carefully place your sprinkles onto your Christmas trees – kitchen tweezers come in handy here. Dust each cupcake with a little bit of icing sugar, add a bit of edible glitter for a touch of sparkle, and you’re ready to serve!
Leftover buttercream? You can use them to make my Christmas Wreath Cupcakes too!
