There’s just something magical about frosting that’s both creamy and a little indulgent, especially when it’s shaped like a tree and perfect for the holidays. This Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe brings a festive spark to your kitchen with those iconic Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes folded right into the frosting—trust me, you’re going to want to make these again and again!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made my fair share of festive cupcakes over the years, but this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe genuinely stands out because of how it turns simple cupcakes into holiday stars with that creamy, cake-studded frosting. It’s approachable, fun to make, and perfect for sharing with friends or the kids.
- Unique Frosting Texture: Incorporating crumbled Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes into the cream cheese frosting adds a wonderful, moist texture that's unlike any other cupcake frosting.
- Festive and Fun Presentation: The green sanding sugar and piping technique creates an eye-catching Christmas tree effect that’s perfect for holiday gatherings.
- Moist, Tender Cupcakes: The classic vanilla cupcake base is soft and fluffy, providing the perfect foundation for the rich frosting.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: These cupcakes hold up well in the fridge, letting you prepare in advance before your big holiday event.
Ingredients & Why They Work
The magic of this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe really lies in the balance between the classic cupcake ingredients and the festive frosting. Each ingredient plays its part, ensuring your cupcakes are tender and the frosting creamy and full of holiday spirit.
- Butter: Using room temperature butter helps cream it smoothly with sugar, giving your cupcakes that tender crumb and creamy frosting base.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cupcakes evenly, helping with a nice golden color and moist texture.
- Vegetable oil: Adds moisture and keeps the cupcakes soft even a day later.
- Vanilla extract: Brings warmth and depth to both cupcakes and frosting.
- Eggs: Provide structure but also richness for a balanced crumb.
- Whole milk: Moisturizes and enriches the batter; the fat content helps tenderize the cupcakes.
- All-purpose flour: The backbone of the cupcake, it creates structure without being too dense.
- Baking powder: Gives your cupcakes the lift and light texture they need.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors, balancing the sweetness.
- Cream cheese: A smooth, tangy base for the frosting that partners beautifully with the cake crumbs.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting for easy piping.
- Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes: The star ingredient that adds festive flavor and crumbly texture to the frosting.
- Green sanding sugar: Adds sparkle and that classic Christmas tree look to your cupcakes.
- Red gel food coloring: Just a dab for the drizzle adds a festive pop of color.
Make It Your Way
What I love most about this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe is how easily you can customize it to fit your style or dietary needs. I often add a sprinkle of chopped nuts to the frosting mix for a little crunch or swap out vanilla extract for almond to change up the flavor profile.
- Chocolate Variation: I’ve made these cupcakes using chocolate cupcake base instead of vanilla for a rich twist; the cream cheese frosting paired with chocolate is dreamy.
- Dairy-Free Version: Using dairy-free cream cheese and butter alternatives works well, just make sure your Little Debbie cakes are also dairy-free or substitute crumbs from a vegan-friendly treat.
- Extra Festive: Try adding mini candy “ornaments” or edible glitter on top for kids’ parties—it really amps up the wow factor.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy
I start by beating the softened butter and granulated sugar together with my stand mixer on medium speed. This usually takes about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth and fluffy—don’t rush here because well-creamed butter and sugar make a lighter cupcake.
Step 2: Add eggs, oil, and vanilla
Next, I crack in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then the vegetable oil and vanilla extract go in. Mixing these together ensures the batter stays moist and flavorful.
Step 3: Mix in milk – don’t worry if it looks curdled!
When you add the milk, the mixture may look a bit curdled—totally normal! Just keep mixing gently to combine—it’ll smooth out once you add the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients and fold gently
Sift in your flour, baking powder, and salt, and start mixing on low speed. Once the flour is mostly mixed in, increase to medium speed and beat just until combined. Overmixing can make cupcakes tough, so keep an eye on texture here.
Step 5: Bake until golden and let cool completely
Scoop batter into lined cupcake tins, about half to two-thirds full. Bake at 350°F for 14 to 16 minutes until the edges turn golden. Let them cool fully before frosting—you don’t want melty frosting here!
Step 6: Whip up the cream cheese frosting with cake crumbs
Beat butter, cream cheese, and salt until silky. Then add vanilla and powder sugar and mix gently. Meanwhile, pulse the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes in a food processor until crumbly and creamy—this is my favorite part because the frosting gets that wonderful texture.
Mix the cake crumbs into the frosting and switch to a paddle attachment for a smooth finish. It’s okay if the frosting is a bit textured, but aim for uniformity so it pipes well.
Step 7: Pipe and decorate your cupcake trees
Reserve some frosting to mix with red gel food coloring and milk for the festive drizzle. Use a large star tip for swirling the green frosting tall like a tree, then drizzle the red gently over the tops. Sprinkle with green sanding sugar to catch the light beautifully.
Top Tip
Over time, I’ve found that a few little tweaks make this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe foolproof and extra special. If you follow these tips, you’ll get consistent results that impress every time.
Creative Ways to Present
One of my favorite displays is arranging the cupcakes on a tiered platter surrounded by mini pine branches or holly sprigs—that greenery really enhances the tree theme. You can even place a star-shaped cookie on the top cupcake for a fun finishing touch.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Because of the cream cheese in the frosting, I always keep leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge. They reliably stay fresh for up to a week, and I find the flavors actually deepen after a day or two.
Freezing
If I need to freeze them, I individually wrap each cupcake in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe container. When thawed slowly in the fridge overnight, the cupcakes maintain their texture and the frosting stays creamy.
Reheating
I usually don’t reheat these since the frosting is best enjoyed cool, but if you prefer a softer cupcake, bring them to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! You can bake the cupcakes a day or two in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Just wait to add the frosting until the day you plan to serve for best results.
You can crumble the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes by hand or pulse with a hand mixer in a bowl. The texture might be a bit chunkier, but it will still taste great in the frosting.
Absolutely! You can use other Christmas-themed snack cakes you enjoy, or even crumbled gingerbread or sugar cookies, to give the frosting a festive crunch and flavor variation.
Make sure your butter and cream cheese are well chilled but still soft enough to beat until creamy. Also, add your powdered sugar gradually and keep a close eye on consistency — adding too much milk can make it runny. If it’s too soft, pop the frosting in the fridge for a bit to firm up before piping.
Final Thoughts
I genuinely adore this Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe because it captures the joy and creativity of the season in every bite. Whether you’re making them for a family gathering, a holiday party, or just to enjoy with a cozy drink, these cupcakes never fail to put a smile on my face. I hope you’ll try making them and find as much happiness in baking (and eating) them as I do!
Print
Christmas Tree Cupcake Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 27 cupcakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These festive Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cupcakes combine moist vanilla cupcakes with a creamy cream cheese frosting blended with crushed Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. Finished with a tall frosting swirl, red drizzle, and green sanding sugar, they’re perfect for holiday celebrations and make for a fun and delicious dessert.
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 10 Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Red gel food coloring (quantity as needed)
- Green sanding sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs, Oil, and Vanilla: Mix in eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
- Mix in Milk: Add whole milk and mix until combined; the batter may look curdled, which is normal.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low until mostly combined, then increase to medium speed and beat until fully combined.
- Fill Cupcake Liners: Spoon batter into each liner, filling them halfway to two-thirds full.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare Frosting Base: In a bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and salt on medium speed with a whisk attachment until smooth.
- Add Vanilla and Sugar: Mix in vanilla extract and powdered sugar on low speed until combined, then set aside.
- Crush Christmas Tree Cakes: In a food processor, pulse the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes until crumbled and creamy. If no processor is available, crush with a hand mixer in a bowl, though it may be lumpier.
- Combine Crushed Cakes with Frosting: Add cake crumbs to the frosting bowl and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment until smooth.
- Make Red Drizzle Frosting: Place ½ cup of frosting in a separate bowl, add milk and red gel food coloring, and mix thoroughly with a spatula. Transfer to a piping or storage bag.
- Fill Piping Bags: Put the remaining frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (or a large round tip if texture is coarse).
- Pipe Frosting on Cupcakes: Pipe tall swirls of frosting on each cooled cupcake.
- Drizzle Red Frosting: Cut a small hole at the end of the red frosting bag and drizzle it back and forth over each cupcake while applying gentle pressure.
- Decorate: Sprinkle green sanding sugar over the frosted cupcakes for a festive touch.
- Storage: Store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days. They can be kept at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Notes
- Ensure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature for smooth frosting.
- If you don’t have a food processor, use a hand mixer to crush the Little Debbie cakes, but expect a less smooth texture.
- For best piping results, use a large star tip unless frosting texture requires a round tip to prevent clogging.
- The batter may look curdled after adding milk, but this is normal and won’t affect the final result.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes due to the cream cheese frosting to maintain freshness and safety.
- You can adjust the intensity of the red drizzle by controlling the amount of red gel food coloring.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Leave a Reply