Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe packs tender vanilla cupcakes, creamy peppermint-kissed buttercream, and a crunchy sugar-cone tree with sparkling sprinkles. Home bakers, party planners, and kids-at-heart will nail these holiday cupcakes in about 60 minutes total. I baked a batch with my niece last weekend, and the giggles outnumbered the sprinkles.
Why You Should Try This Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
This Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe gives you bakery-level looks with simple steps and easy-to-find ingredients. The sugar-cone trees stand tall, the buttercream pipes beautifully, and the whole tray lights up a dessert table. You get maximum festive vibes without complicated pastry skills.
These holiday cupcakes also travel well. The cones protect the frosting, so your ornaments arrive intact for the cookie swap or class party. Your phone will eat first because friends will beg for photos.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- the cupcakes, 12 standard cupcakes
- All-purpose flour 1.5 cups 180 g
- Baking powder 1.5 tsp
- Fine sea salt 1/4 tsp
- Unsalted butter 1/2 cup 113 g, softened
- Granulated sugar 3/4 cup 150 g
- Large eggs 2, room temp
- Pure vanilla extract 2 tsp
- Sour cream 1/4 cup for moisture
- Whole milk 1/3 cup, room temp
- Pantry shortcut: use one boxed vanilla cake mix and the box ingredients for 12 cupcakes
- the buttercream trees
- Unsalted butter 1 cup 226 g, softened
- Powdered sugar 3 cups 360 g, sifted for smooth piping
- Heavy cream or milk 2 to 3 tbsp, to thin
- Pure vanilla extract 1 tsp
- Peppermint extract 1/8 tsp, optional and strong
- Fine sea salt pinch, to balance sweetness
- Green gel food coloring gel gives vibrant color without watering down frosting
- decorating
- Sugar cones 12
- Assorted sprinkles nonpareils, stars, sanding sugar
- Shredded coconut optional for a snowy base
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Equipment
How to Make Christmas Tree Cupcake
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 16 to 18 minutes
- Decorate: 20 minutes
- Total: about 60 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set it aside.
- Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and sour cream.
- Add half the dry mix, then the milk, then the remaining dry mix. Mix on low just until the batter looks smooth with no dry streaks.
- Divide batter among liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 16 to 18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then move cupcakes to a rack and cool completely.
- Make the buttercream. Beat butter until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar gradually, then beat in cream, vanilla, peppermint if using, and salt until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Tint most of the frosting green. Keep a small portion white for snowy tops.
- Set up decorations. Pour sprinkles into shallow bowls. Trim a bit off the wide end of cones if you want shorter trees.
- Spread a thin layer of white frosting on each cupcake. Press a sugar cone upside down onto each cupcake to anchor it.
- Fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill with green frosting. Pipe stars or short ruffles to cover every cone from base to tip for a tree texture.
- Add ornaments with sprinkles and press a star on top. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for fresh snow. Chill 10 minutes to set frosting, then serve.
Tips & Tricks
- Use room temp butter, eggs, and milk for a smooth batter and even lift.
- Spoon and level flour or weigh it for tender cupcakes with no dryness.
- Gel food coloring keeps frosting vibrant without thinning it.
- Go light on peppermint extract since it runs strong.
- If frosting feels soft, chill the bowl for 10 minutes, then pipe.
- Pipe onto chilled cones for sharper details and fewer smudges.
- Place each cupcake in a clear plastic tumbler for easy transport.
- Want chocolate bases Instead, swap in your favorite chocolate cupcake batter or boxed chocolate mix.
What to Serve with Christmas Tree Cupcake
Set these Christmas tree cupcakes on a platter with coconut for snow and add candy canes for a cute border. Pair with hot cocoa, peppermint mocha, or spiced cider for a cozy sip. Kids love a cold glass of milk, while grown-ups might pick coffee for balance. Add a few gingerbread cookies on the side and call it a party.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Bake cupcakes up to 2 days ahead and store them unfrosted in an airtight container at room temp. Refrigerate buttercream up to 1 week or freeze it up to 2 months, then bring it to room temp and whip it smooth. Decorate the trees on the day you serve for the crispiest cones. If you must store decorated cupcakes, refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes to set, then loosely cover and keep up to 24 hours.
Freeze unfrosted cupcakes up to 2 months and thaw at room temp. Bring decorated cupcakes to room temp before serving so the buttercream softens. To refresh a plain cupcake, microwave 5 to 8 seconds for a just-baked feel.
Nutrition Information
Per cupcake, about 1 of 12:
- Calories: ~520
- Carbohydrates: ~72 g
- Protein: ~4 g
- Fat: ~24 g
- Saturated Fat: ~15 g
- Sugar: ~55 g
- Sodium: ~170 mg
- Fiber: ~1 g
Numbers are estimates based on standard ingredients and typical frosting amounts. Actual values will vary with decoration choices and portion size.
Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- Add eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
- Add green food coloring, a few drops at a time, until desired tree-green color is achieved.
- Transfer the green frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
- Starting at the center of each cooled cupcake, pipe frosting upward in a swirling motion to form a tree shape.
- Decorate with rainbow sprinkles as ornaments and place a yellow star on top of each cupcake.