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
Scale
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
