Christmas cupcakes are the perfect way to celebrate the season—fun to decorate, easy to make, and guaranteed to impress! These fluffy vanilla cupcakes are topped with creamy vanilla buttercream and styled into adorable Christmas trees or wreaths using just a few piping tips (or even a ziplock bag!). Whether you’re baking with kids or prepping a holiday dessert table, these cupcakes are a merry must. You’ll love how simple they are to pull together—and how easily you can customize the decorations with sprinkles, colors, and creativity. Get ready for your new favorite holiday tradition!
Table of Contents
🎅 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🎨 Festive & Customizable: Create trees, wreaths, or your own holiday masterpiece
- 🧁 Fluffy Vanilla Cupcakes: Soft and moist thanks to sour cream and oil
- 🥄 Simple Buttercream: Just four ingredients and super pipeable
- 🛠 Beginner-Friendly: No pro piping skills required—use basic tools or a ziplock bag
- 🎁 Great for Parties: Perfect for cookie swaps, classroom events, or Christmas brunch
🧁 Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, room temp
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- ⅓ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temp
For the Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup salted butter, room temp
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Decorations
- Green food coloring (gel preferred)
- Sprinkles (holiday colors or metallics)
- Pretzel sticks (for tree trunks)
- Piping tips: Wilton #199 (stars), #18 (swirls), #3 (zigzag), or use a ziplock bag
- Small offset spatula or butter knife
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Bake the Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cupcake pan with 16 liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add butter and mix on medium-low for 3 minutes until crumbly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla.
- Add wet mixture to dry and mix just until combined.
- Slowly add milk while mixing on low until smooth. Batter will be liquid.
- Fill liners just over halfway and bake 14–16 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
Step 2: Make the Buttercream
- Beat butter on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla. Beat on low for 1 minute, then on medium for 2 more.
- Adjust consistency: Add more sugar if too thin, more cream if too thick.
- Divide frosting: Leave ⅓ white, tint ⅔ with green food coloring.
🎨 Decorating Instructions
Option 1: Christmas Wreath Cupcakes
- Spread a thin layer of white frosting over cupcake.
- Using star tip #199, pipe green stars in a circle to form the wreath.
- Add sprinkles for ornaments or berries.
Option 2: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Spread white frosting base.
- Pipe green frosting in one of three ways:
- Star Tree: Use tip #199 to pipe stars in a tree shape.
- Swirl Tree: Use tip #18 to pipe a swirl from base to top.
- Zigzag Tree: Use tip #3 to draw zigzag branches.
- Add a piece of pretzel at the base for the tree trunk.
- Decorate with sprinkles and a candy star topper if desired.
No Piping Tips? No Problem!
- Fill a ziplock bag with green frosting and snip a corner off.
- Pipe basic swirls or zigzags.
- Or use a knife to spread and shape the trees/wreaths.
📋 Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: ~40 minutes (plus cooling)
- Yield: 16 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert, Cupcakes, Christmas
- Cuisine: American
🧾 Nutrition Facts (Per Cupcake – Approximate)
- Calories: 310
- Fat: 17g
- Carbs: 38g
- Sugar: 29g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 160mg
💡 Tips & Variations
- ❄️ Cool First: Always let cupcakes cool completely before frosting
- 🧁 Practice First: Pipe a few test stars or swirls on parchment
- 🍬 Sprinkle Timing: Add decorations right after piping before frosting sets
- 🧊 Storage: Frosted cupcakes last 5 days in fridge; unfrosted last 3 days at room temp
- 🌈 Color Options: Try red, white, or gold buttercream variations
❓ FAQs
Can I use box mix instead of homemade cupcakes?
Absolutely. Use your favorite vanilla cake mix for the base and follow the same decorating instructions.
What if I don’t have cake flour?
You can make a substitute: Measure 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, remove 3.5 tablespoons, and replace with 3.5 tablespoons cornstarch.
Can I freeze these cupcakes?
Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for up to 2 months. Thaw and decorate fresh.
Christmas Cupcakes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add butter and mix until crumbly.
- Whisk eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla separately. Combine into dry mix.
- Slowly add milk and mix until smooth. Fill liners halfway.
- Bake 14–16 minutes. Cool completely.
- **Make Buttercream:**
- Beat butter 2–3 mins. Add sugar, cream, vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
- Adjust consistency. Tint ⅔ green, leave ⅓ white.
- **Decorate:**
- – Spread white base. Pipe green trees or wreaths using star, swirl, or zigzag technique.
- – Add sprinkles and pretzel trunks.
Notes
– Store frosted cupcakes in fridge for up to 5 days.
🎉 Conclusion
These Christmas cupcakes combine soft vanilla cake with colorful, festive buttercream designs that are as fun to make as they are to eat. Whether you’re decorating trees, wreaths, or going freestyle, this is one holiday treat that brings big cheer in a small (and delicious) package. Perfect for parties, gifting, or Christmas morning joy!