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These super simple but beautifully festive Christmas Cupcakes are decorated like dinky Christmas trees. They’re fun to make if you’re baking with kids this festive season, or ideal for a party or bake sale.

Side photo of green iced Christmas tree cupcakes with sprinkles.

If you’re looking for some Christmas Cupcake ideas, how about an easy but traditional Christmas tree design, using simple green icing?

With just a few simple tips and tricks, you can throw together these cute treats in no time, ready for sharing, selling or gifting during the festivities!


Why you’ll love this Christmas Cupcake recipe

⭐️ Fun to make

⭐️ Cute festive treats

⭐️ Easy and quick to bake


Overhead photo of green iced Christmas tree cupcakes with sprinkles.

Cupcake baking tips

Flour

If you’re using an electric mixer, make sure you mix your flour by hand as it helps to keep the cupcakes moist.

Scooping

I like to use an ice cream scoop to portion out the unbaked mixture into the cupcake cases to ensure even distribution.

Consistency

The cakes should be golden and slightly bouncy to the touch when ready. Bake for 15 minutes but keep checking them as times do vary according to your oven

Piping the icing ‘tree’

To pipe the Christmas tree shape with the icing, I used a 1M star shape nozzle, also available on Amazon.


Christmas Cupcakes Ingredients Notes

  • Caster sugar – Be sure to use caster sugar, not granulated. It melts and reacts differently as the grains are larger
  • Self-raising flour – This flour contains a raising agent so there’s no need for baking powder too
  • Eggs – Free-range and medium or large sized is best
  • Butter – Go for unsalted butter if possible and it should be a room temperature

Ingredients for the icing

  • Butter – I use unsalted, room temperature butter for the icing. Do not even THINK about using margarine! It tastes grim and just doesn’t behave in the same way
  • Icing sugar – I find that a freshly opened bag of icing sugar gives the best results, so make 
  • Green gel food colouring – Only ever use gel food colour to colour the icing for the trees. Liquid food colour will make it too thin and won’t get the correct depth of colour. I used a mixture of holly green and party green Sugarflair Paste Colour from Amazon
  • Toppings – You can top your cupcakes however you like. Sprinkles make great baubles for the tree. I used guitar toppers like these to theme mine, but go for whatever you prefer
Side photo of green iced Christmas tree cupcakes with sprinkles.

How to make Christmas Cupcakes

  1. Cream your butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in your flour by hand. 
  2. Spoon in the mixture into your cupcake cases and bake for about 15 minutes, according to the recipe below. 
  3. Make your icing by beating the butter until pale, then beat in your icing sugar and gel colouring. 
  4. When your cupcakes are baked and cooled, pipe on your Christmas trees with the icing and add your chosen toppings.

How to pipe the Christmas Trees

  1. When the cupcakes are cool, pop a star nozzle on your piping bag and fill the bag with the freshly beaten icing.
  2. Pipe a circle around the edge of the cupcake, continue with another circle on top, slightly smaller, and finally a tiny circle on top.
  3. Give the bag a squeeze, stop squeezing and pull the bag away quickly.

Substitutions

  • Gluten free – You can try this recipe with gluten free flour if you are baking for those intolerant to gluten. Always check the labels of your ingredients for allergens

Storing

Store these in an airtight container that ISN’T plastic, somewhere cool (so usually dark too) but not a fridge.

How long do Christmas Cupcakes last? 

Answer – in this house, not very long! Really though, you can make these ahead of time.

Because they are so moist, they should last 3-4 days in an airtight tin (although they are better when they are fresh, most people wouldn’t notice the difference.)

You may find that if you store them on a hot day or in a plastic container, the cupcake cases come away a little from the cakes. This won’t affect the taste.

Can Christmas Cupcakes be frozen?

Yes. Freeze them before icing and wrap them well.

Let them defrost at room temperature. You may find that if they have been frozen and defrosted, the cupcake cases come away a little from the cakes. This won’t affect the taste.

More festive treat recipe ideas…

FAQs

How can I make sure my Christmas cupcakes are moist?

Almost always dry cupcakes are down to overbaking. Test your oven with an oven thermometer to check it isn’t TOO hot.

Also, cupcakes will always become dry if they aren’t fresh. If you’re eating them on day 5, they probably will be dry.

Help! My cupcakes are not rising!

Be sure that your flour isn’t out of date (so the raising agent is still working).
Test your oven with an oven thermometer to check it really is as hot as the gauge says
Check that your eggs are medium or large size. Not enough eggs can cause cakes to rise less.

Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.

Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).

4.79 from 19 votes

Christmas Cupcakes {Easy Recipe}

These super simple but beautifully festive Christmas Cupcakes are decorated like dinky Christmas trees. They’re fun to make if you’re baking with kids this festive season, or ideal for a party or bake sale.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

For the cupcakes:

  • 150 g Caster sugar
  • 150 g Unsalted butter
  • 3 Medium eggs, Free range
  • 150 g Self-raising flour

For the icing:

  • 250 g Unsalted butter
  • 500 g Icing sugar
  • Green gel food colouring, See notes
  • Sprinkles

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
  • Put 12 cupcakes cases into your tin ready. 
  • Cream your room temperature butter with your sugar until its pale, light and fluffy. 
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing really well after each egg. Don’t worry if it curdles slightly, it will come good. 
  • Mix in your flour. (If you are using a mixer you should do this by hand as it helps to keep the cakes moist.)
  • Spoon equal amounts of mixture into your cupcake cases. (I use an ice cream scoop as this gives an even distribution.)
  • Bake for approximately 15 minutes. You may need to adjust this depending on your oven. The cakes should be golden and slightly bouncy to the touch. 
  • Meanwhile, make your icing. 
  • To make your icing, beat your butter until it's, pale, light and fluffy. 
  • Beat in your sieved icing sugar. 
  • Take your cupcakes out of the oven. When they are cooled, pipe your Christmas trees on top, along with your chosen sprinkles/toppers.

Notes

Flour: If you’re using an electric mixer, make sure you mix your flour by hand as it helps to keep the cupcakes moist 
Scooping: I like to use an ice cream scoop to portion out the mixture into the cupcake cases to ensure even distribution 
Consistency: The cakes should be golden and slightly bouncy to the touch when ready. Bake for 15 minutes but keep checking them as times do vary according to your oven
Portions: This recipe makes 12 SMALL cupcakes or 9 LARGE cupcakes (always my preference!) The ones in the photos are LARGE
Piping nozzle: I almost always use a Wilton 1M nozzle, available on Amazon
To store: Keep these in an airtight container that ISN’T plastic, somewhere cool (so usually dark too) but not a fridge
Shelf-life: Because they are so moist, they should last 3-4 days in an airtight tin
 

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 3gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 20mgPotassium: 35mgSugar: 53gVitamin A: 890IUCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Family Food
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4.79 from 19 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The best sup cakes I have ever made, I have followed every single ingredient, measurement and time and it is delicious