Moist chocolate cupcakes topped with easy sugar cone buttercream trees!
These festive looking tree cupcakes are easy to make! All you need is buttercream, ice cream cones and chocolate cupcakes. Powdered sugar dusted on top gives the trees a special snow look. You can leave them plain or decorate them with sugar dragees.
Which piping tip do I use?
To pipe the white round swirl of buttercream any big round piping tip would do but I did not even use a piping tip at all. Just cut the tip off the piping bag in a clean line to have a nice big opening and you are all set.
For the tree you will need a small star tip like a number 30 tip. Make sure to pipe a little bit pointing up to get a nice pattern.
Extra surprise?
For a hidden surprise you can fill candy inside the sugar cone before assembling the cupcakes. Give these treats your own touch! Every cupcake can be filled differently!
Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup (130g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1/2 cup (50g) dark cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
For the buttercream:
6 egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups butter
gel food coloring
Sugar cones
Powdered sugar
Sugar pearls
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1:
Start off with a big mixing bowl. Add eggs, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla. Mix it until fluffy.
Step 2:
Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa powder. Mix until combined. Add hot water to the batter and mix it in. Batter will be thin.
Step 3:
Fill the cupcake liners in the cupcake sheet about 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes at 300 °F (150°C) for about 18-20 minutes. After baking let them cool completely in the baking sheet.
Step 4:
While the cupcakes are baking prepare the buttercream. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place it on a pot with simmering water (bain-marie). Whisk it continually for 8 minutes. Take out the water bath and keep whisking the meringue until stiff peaks form. Keep whisking until it reaches room temperature. Then mix in the butter in small pieces. Keep mixing it until it comes together in a smooth buttercream. When everything is nicely combined, add the vanilla and food coloring. You will need white and green buttercream.
Step 5:
To decorate the cupcakes pipe a big swirl of white buttercream on the cupcakes. Set aside. Cover a sugar cone with a thin layer of green buttercream. Apply dots of green buttercream with a small star tip. Leave the top space empty. Place it on top of the cupcake and finish decorating. Dust powdered sugar on top for the snow. Place sugar pearls on top and on the sides if desired.
Enjoy!
**Pro Tips**
Having greasy cupcake liners after baking? Fill each cupcake mold with a tbsp uncooked rice before baking, place the cupcake liner on top and fill it. The rice will help absorbing the grease.
Using a kitchen machine for the buttercream helps whipping up the meringue faster as you change the bowl after heating up the eggwhites.
I find it easier to pipe the trees on the sugar cone while holding the cone in the hand. Just leave the top part of the cone empty and finish decorating it after it is placed on the cupcake.
