These pink Christmas tree cupcakes are a fun, festive dessert to make for a party, girls' night in or movie night. Despite their fancy look, these cakes are surprisingly easy to make and they're so much fun to decorate!
It's officially less than 1 month until Christmas and to celebrate, I thought I'd make these super cute pink Christmas tree cupcakes. I've been seeing the green version of these cakes all over Pinterest for a few years now but I thought a cutesy, girly version would be fun to try. I'm so happy with how they turned out!
Grab your ingredients and kitchen tools and let's get baking!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Use softened butter when making cupcakes as it can be very difficult to mix straight from the fridge. I usually leave mine out for about an hour before baking to soften it. If you're in a rush, you can cut it into cubes and pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds to speed up the process, but avoid melting it completely.
- Caster sugar: Caster sugar dissolves more easily into the butter, creating a smoother batter and cupcake texture. However, regular white sugar will work too so if that's all you have, feel free to use that.
- Eggs: Eggs act as a binder in this recipe, helping to hold everything together. They also add moisture and give a slight leavening effect. I recommend using medium-sized eggs for this recipe.
- Self-raising flour: Self-raising flour is a time-saver when baking as it already contains baking powder, meaning you won't need to add it separately. If plain flour is all you have, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the recipe.
- Icing sugar: The icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar, is for our pink icing. I recommend sifting it to avoid lumpiness.
- Milk: A splash of milk helps to loosen the icing and makes it easier to pipe. You might need more or less than the recipe recommends, so add it gradually until you reach the right consistency.
- Pink food colouring: Gel food colouring is best as it's more concentrated and it won't change the consistency of the icing as much as liquid colouring. Start with a small amount and add more as needed. If you prefer traditional green Christmas tree cupcakes, just swap this out for green gel colouring.
- Ice cream cones: These will act as our Christmas tree bases. Make sure to use pointy cones (not cup-style) with a flat rim so that they sit evenly on top of the cupcakes. If you can't find pointy ice cream cones, you can make some cone shapes out of pink fondant.
- Pink cake sprinkles: Optional but recommended! Pink sprinkles add a fun, extra festive touch to these cupcakes. I used a variety of sugar balls.
Equipment
- Cupcake tin: I actually prefer to use a deep-holed tin or muffin tin when making cupcakes as it helps them to hold their shape better in the oven.
- Cupcake cases: I used rose-gold ones but you can use any colour that you like. If you prefer not to use cases, just spray a cupcake tin with cooking spray before putting the batter in.
- Mixing bowls: A large one for mixing up the cake batter and a medium-sized one to make the icing in.
- Utensils: A wooden spoon for mixing and a teaspoon and tablespoon for measuring. A small spatula is also handy for spreading the icing.
- Piping bag and nozzle: To create our pink Christmas tree 'branches'. I used a small open-star nozzle.
- Cooling rack: To prevent the cupcakes from getting soggy bottoms!
- Kitchen scale: I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients if possible. Cups and ounces just aren't as accurate and you may end up with a slightly different result each time you make the recipe.
How to make pink Christmas tree cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens) and line a cupcake tin with 12 liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together 190g of softened butter, 190g of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Then stir in 190g of self-raising flour and 3 medium eggs, a little at a time, until smooth. The batter will be quite thick.
Step 3: Divide the batter equally between your cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Step 4: Prepare your icing by mixing together 300g of soft butter, 900g of icing sugar and 4-5 tablespoons of milk. To make it thicker, add more icing sugar and to make it softer, add more milk.
Step 5: Stir in a few drops of pink food colouring until you get your desired shade.
Step 6: Spread some pink icing onto the base of each cupcake. Coat an ice cream cone with the icing then pop one on top of each cupcake.
Step 7: Transfer the rest of the icing into a large piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle then pipe 'branches' all over the ice cream cones.
Step 8: Decorate with pink sprinkles and a dusting of icing sugar then enjoy!
Top Tips
- Bake the cakes in a muffin tin to help them rise upwards rather than outwards.
- Divide the batter between the cases easily using a piping bag with the tip cut off. This saves mess and time!
- Gel food colouring will give a more vibrant colour than liquid. I used PME food paste.
- Don't forget to cover the ice cream cones with icing before you pipe on the 'branches'. This will prevent any unsightly gaps from showing through.
FAQs
Absolutely! While the recipe calls for pink, feel free to use any colour you fancy- traditional green, white, purple or even blue would be nice. Just remember that some food colourings are more concentrated than others, so add a little bit at a time to avoid overdoing it.
These cupcakes are best enjoyed within 48 hours. This will ensure that the cones stay crisp. You can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Due to their unique shape, these can be tricky to transport if you're taking them to a party. I use a deep cupcake carrier or a large flat-bottomed box. Place them in carefully, ensuring they don't touch each other.
These will take roughly 20-25 minutes, but ovens can vary. Insert a toothpick into the centre of a cupcake- if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, they're ready. If it's still wet, pop them back in for a few more minutes.
More Christmas treats
- Oreo pinecone truffles
- Malteser Christmas pudding
- Chocolate Viennese whirls
- Candy cane fudge
- White snowflake cupcakes
I hope you like these pink Christmas tree cupcakes! If you make them at home, leave a comment to let me know what you think of the recipe. Enjoy!
Pink Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 190 g Softened butter
- 190 g Caster sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 3 Medium Eggs
- 190 g Self-raising flour
Topping:
- 300 g Softened butter
- 900 g Icing sugar (plus more for dusting)
- 4-5 Tablespoons Milk
- Pink food colouring
- 12 Ice cream cones
- 4 Tablespoons Cake sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens) and line a cupcake tin with 12 cases.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix in the eggs and flour, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth, thick cake batter.
- Divide the batter between your 12 cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Topping:
- Mix the butter, icing sugar and milk together to make your icing. Then stir in the pink food colouring- start with a little and add more if needed.
- Spread some pink icing onto the cupcakes then cover each ice cream cone with icing too. Place the cones upside down onto the cupcakes.
- Put the rest of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle and pipe small 'branches' onto the ice cream cones.
- Add pink sprinkles to decorate, top with a dusting of icing sugar then enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours.
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