Simple and delicious vanilla Christmas Cupcakes topped with buttercream and decorated with lollies and chocolates… the perfect Christmas party food!
It’s no secret that I am officially OBSESSED with Christmas baking! Whether it’s making a chocolate Christmas house or reindeer brownies with my little one, whipping up my famous 3 ingredient Christmas cake, or sneaking a sip or two of my homemade Baileys… if it has to do with Christmas and sweet treats, I am ALL IN!
The Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
Our Christmas Cupcakes are made using my all-time favourite vanilla cupcake recipe topped with a simple vanilla buttercream. It is SO easy and tastes amazing. This is honestly the only vanilla cupcake recipe you’ll ever need in your life. I use it for all of my birthday cupcakes and special occasion cupcakes.
Easy Designs For Christmas Cupcakes
I decorated our Christmas Cupcakes in two super easy ways:
- with red & green M&Ms to look like Christmas baubles
- with spearmint leaves and a Jaffa to look like Christmas holly (see notes below for substitutions)
Both of these designs can be decorated by the kids for a fun Christmas baking activity. There’s no need for any piping, simply spread the buttercream over with a flat knife and decorate!
The Steps To Making Simple Christmas Cupcakes
Step 1 – Cream the mixture and add the eggs
Cream the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy. Mix through the lightly beaten eggs.
Step 2 – Fold through the flour
Gently fold through the self-raising flour until only just combined – don’t overmix.
Step 3 – Fill the cupcake cases and bake
Prepare the cupcake tins (see tips below) and divide the mixture amongst the cupcake cases (filling to 2/3 full). Bake until golden and when they spring back when touched in the centre.
Step 4 – Prepare the buttercream
Beat the buttercream until pale and creamy. Spread over the cupcakes with a flat knife.
Step 5 – Decorate
Decorate the cupcakes:
- Make Christmas baubles by decorating with red & green M&Ms
- Make Christmas holly by decorating with spearmint leaves and Jaffas
Tips For Making Christmas Cupcakes
- do not over mix the cupcake batter
- make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before baking
- place rice in the base of your cupcake tins before adding the cupcake paper cases – this will stop them getting oily when the cupcakes bake
- fill the mixture to 2/3 full of your muffin holes
- to test if the cupcakes are cooked, press gently on the middle – it should spring back when cooked
- allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- ensure the cupcakes are completely cooled before decorating
- spearmint leaves are a mint flavoured soft candy covered in sugar in the shape of a spearmint leaf. If you can’t buy spearmint leaves, you can substitute them with any soft green candy
- Jaffas are a chocolate balls covered in a orange flavoured red shell. You can substitute them for any round red chocolate or candy you like
- store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days (they are best eaten within 1-2 days)
- the cupcakes can be baked and then frozen (once cooled) for up to 1 month. Allow them to defrost at room temperature before icing with buttercream and decorating.
More Christmas Recipes To Make With The Kids
If you’re after some more fun Christmas baking recipes to make with the kids… this is the collection of recipes you need! Quick, easy and FUN!
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Christmas Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter softened
- 200 g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence
- 4 eggs
- 200 g self raising flour
- red & green M&Ms, spearmint leaves and Jaffas to decorate, see notes
For the icing
- 185 g unsalted butter softened
- 340 g icing sugar mixture
- 2 tbs milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place cupcake cases into the holes of two 12-hole muffin trays.
- Place the butter, caster sugar, salt and vanilla extract into a bowl.
- Beat together with a stand-mixer or hand-held beaters until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs to a separate bowl and beat together lightly.
- Slowly add the egg mixture to the butter mixture while continuing to beat.
- When all of the egg mixture has been completely combined with the butter mixture, sift in the self raising flour and stir with a spoon until just combined (don't over combine).
- Place the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases - filling them to 2/3 full.
- Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and when they spring back when touched in the centre (if you're making mini cupcakes, reduce the cooking time slightly).
- Leave cupcakes in the baking trays for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, beat the butter in a bowl until pale and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
- Slowly add the icing sugar mixture, milk and vanilla extract and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
- Decorate the cupcakes when they have completely cooled (see images above for details).
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place cupcake cases into the holes of two 12-hole muffin trays.
- Place sugar and butter into the TM bowl and and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5.
- Add the eggs, salt, vanilla extract and self-raising flour and mix for 15 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula, then mix for a further 10 seconds, Speed 5.
- Place the cupcake mixture into the cupcake cases - filling them to 2/3 full. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and when they spring back when touched in the centre (if you're making mini cupcakes, they will need slightly less cooking time).
- Leave cupcakes in the baking trays for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the icing, place the icing sugar into the TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds on Speed 9.
- Add the butter, milk and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on Speed 4.
- Decorate the cupcakes when they have completely cooled (see images above for details).
Notes
- do not over mix the cupcake batter
- make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before baking
- place rice in the base of your cupcake tins before adding the cupcake paper cases - this will stop them getting oily when the cupcakes bake
- fill the mixture to 2/3 full of your muffin holes
- to test if the cupcakes are cooked, press gently on the middle - it should spring back when cooked
- allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- ensure the cupcakes are completely cooled before decorating
- spearmint leaves are a mint flavoured soft candy covered in sugar in the shape of a spearmint leaf. If you can’t buy spearmint leaves, you can substitute them with any soft green candy
- Jaffas are a chocolate balls covered in a orange flavoured red shell. You can substitute them for any round red chocolate or candy you like
- store the cupcakes at room temperature for up to 3 days (they are best eaten within 1-2 days)
- the cupcakes can be baked and then frozen (once cooled) for up to 1 month. Allow them to defrost at room temperature before icing with buttercream and decorating.
What does it mean if the cupcakes sunk in the middle a bit?
Hi Kellie, your oven might be running a little hot. Generally if they sink in the middle it’s because they’ve been cooked too high and risen too quickly which then makes them fall in the middle. Try lowering the temp a little next time. xx