Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Delicious chocolate Christmas Tree Cupcakes with buttercream frosting are super cute, fun to decorate, and perfect for the Holiday season.

My scratch-made chocolate cupcake recipe is the perfect base cupcake recipe for these delightful, festive Christmas tree cupcakes!

The cupcakes have a rich, dark, fudgy flavor that pairs so well with my sweet and simple buttercream frosting.

Christmas Cupcakes

It is officially time for holiday baking, and while there are plenty of recipes for Christmas cookies, Christmas cakes, and Christmas pies, you need to add these Christmas cupcakes to your list this year!

Cupcakes with a big swirl of green frosting will be the kids’ favorite treat this year, and the adults will love them too. Who doesn’t love a good cupcake?

When the snow is falling, the family gathered, and presents are under the tree, all you need are these rich and moist chocolate cupcakes, frosted with the creamiest festive frosting and decorated with beautiful sugar pearls.

I’ll even show you how to make tiny gift packages from pre-colored fondant!

Christmas Tree Cupcakes Recipe Highlights

• SO FUN! These, along with my Snowman Cupcakes, are super fun to make with the kids for Christmas. The cupcake batter is easy to mix up, and the decorations are even easier. Let your kids decorate their own frosting trees with fancy sprinkles and see how creative they can be.
• Simple Cupcake Recipe – I use this specific chocolate cupcake recipe all the time because I’ve perfected it! Check it out in my Polar Bear Cupcakes, Turkey Cupcakes, and Halloween Dirt Cupcakes if you want some different theme ideas. This recipe uses a slightly altered recipe with fewer ingredients than the original because the frosting and decorations add a ton of sweetness!
• Easy Decoration: Make big, tall swirls of buttercream frosting on top of each Christmas cupcake to make a Christmas tree. To make yours look just like mine, pick up a Wilton #27 star tip to go with your piping bag.

Key Ingredients

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Dry Ingredients: All purpose flour, unsweetend cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and white sugar.
• Wet Ingredients: Large eggs at room temperature, vegetable or canola oil, vanilla extract, and milk.
• For the Frosting: Vanilla Buttercream is simple to make and pipes wonderfully. My white chocolate buttercream frosting would be delicious too.
• Decorations: Sugar pearls in various colors and sizes make wonderful mini tree ornaments! To make little packages and star toppers, pick up some colored fondant, , and black writing icing. These items can be found easily at most craft stores or big box stores during the holidays.
• Special Tool: If you want to cut out stars from fondant to top each tree, pick up a Star Fondant Press!

How to Make Easy Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Start by preheating the oven to 325°F/160°C and line a cupcake/muffin tin with paper liners.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Tips

• Let the cupcakes cool down completely before decorating. If you try to add buttercream to warm cakes, it will melt!
• Vanilla Frosting: If you think the frosting tastes a bit to sweet, you can always add a pinch of salt. If it’s too stiff, mix in a bit more milk. If it’s too thin, mix in more powdered sugar!
• Cupcake Liners: While you can use any liners you like, I found these fun Christmas Striped Cupcake Liners, and I think they’re absolutely perfect! They come in a huge pack, so you’ll be able to make as many holiday cupcakes as you want.
• Decorations: The gold stars and little red packages are adorable, but totally optional if you would rather not play with fondant.

Cupcake Storing Tips

If you’re making them ahead of time, it’s easier to store unfrosted cupcakes than frosted ones.

At Room Temperature: Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored for up to 1 week in a sealed container.

In the Fridge: This is the better choice for storing frosted cupcakes. In an airtight container, they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

In the Freezer: Unfrosted Christmas cupcakes can be stored in the freezer and will keep well for up to 2 months. You can store the buttercream separately in the freezer as well. Allow both to thaw in the fridge overnight, then whip the frosting again and decorate.

Recipe FAQs

Where can I find pre-colored fondant?

Most craft stores like Hobby Lobby, Joann, and Michaels have a whole aisle of cake decorating supplies, including icings, fondant, food coloring, and sprinkles. You should be able to find everything you need to make these fun Christmas cupcakes there!

What is the best piping tip for Christmas tree cupcakes?

Any large open star tip should work! I am using a Wilton #27 to make these trees. Pipe the frosting in a circular swirl, getting smaller at the top.

How do I make cupcakes with extra-tall Christmas Trees?

Instead of making the trees from just buttercream, you can use ice cream cones to create a hollow base. Pipe the frosting onto the cones to make the trees, and decorate however you like.

More Holiday Cakes to Bake!

Classic Red Velvet Cake

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes

Christmas Layer Cake

Snowman Cupcakes

All Christmas Desserts →

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 8 votes

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Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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These Christmas tree cupcakes are super moist, fudgy, and cute! Easily decorate these with butter cream frosting, sprinkles, and colored fondant.

12 cupcakes

These Christmas tree cupcakes are super moist, fudgy, and cute! Easily decorate these with butter cream frosting, sprinkles, and colored fondant.

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Electric Hand mixer or Stand mixer
• 12 cup muffin pan
• Cupcake liners
• Star Punch optional

Ingredients

• ▢ ¾ cup (90 g) all purpose flour
• ▢ ⅔ cup (67 g) cocoa powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ cup (120 ml) milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (30 ml) pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Frosting

• ▢ 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• ▢ 5½ cups (650 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons (30 ml) vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
• ▢ Green food coloring

To Decorate

• ▢ Sprinkles or sugar pearls
• ▢ Red fondant optional
• ▢ Gold Fondant optional
• ▢ Gold lustre powder optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C), or 140°C if using a fan oven, and line a muffin baking pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.
• Stir in milk, then add the rest of the ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt), and mix until just combined but do not over mix. They batter won’t be very thick, sort of runny and that’s okay.
• Pour the batter into liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. make the frosting by adding 1/2 teaspoon of food colouring to the vanilla frosting and beat with an electric mixer until colour is evenly distributed. If you want a brighter green colour add more food colouring.
• Make the Frosting: Whip the softened butter for 2 minutes until it's light and creamy. Mix in the powdered sugar gradually, then increase the speed and whip for 1 more minute. Add vanilla extract, milk, and green food coloring and mix again until combined.
• Decorate the cupcakes with a generous swirl of To decorate the cupcakes with a generous tree-shaped swirl of green frosting. Decorate with sprinkles or sugar pearls.
• If desired, create small packages with red fondant and white frosting. Gold fondant can be rolled out, brushed with gold lustre, and cut into star shapes for the top of the trees as well.

Notes:

• Don’t overmix the batter. I usually just use a whisk to make these cupcakes. Mix in the dry ingredients briefly and stop when you can no longer see dry streaks of flour.
• Let the cupcakes cool down completely before decorating. If you try to add buttercream to warm cakes, it will melt!
• Vanilla Frosting: If you think the frosting tastes a bit to sweet, you can always add a pinch of salt. If it’s too stiff, mix in a bit more milk. If it’s too thin, mix in more powdered sugar!
• Decorations: The gold stars and little red packages are adorable, but totally optional if you would rather not play with fondant.
• To Store: Keep unfrosted cupcakes for up to a week at room temperature. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cupcake, Calories: 598kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 71mg, Potassium: 155mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 71g, Vitamin A: 775IU, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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