These white Christmas snowflake cupcakes are easy to make and perfect for festive parties. Classic vanilla cupcakes topped with white vanilla buttercream, white cake sprinkles and edible snowflakes.
How cute are these white snowflake cupcakes?! I've been on the lookout for a plain white Christmas cupcake for a few years in a row now and since I can't seem to find any in the supermarkets, I figured I'd make my own.
These winter wonderland cupcakes are light and fluffy, topped with vanilla frosting and edible snowflakes. They're perfect for Frozen-themed parties, Christmas events or a festive movie night snack. Whatever the occasion, these cupcakes are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. Let's get started, shall we?
The post below contains everything you need to know to get these cupcakes right on the first go: ingredient notes, an equipment list, step-by-step instructions with images, top tips and answers to my FAQs. I hope you find it helpful but if you'd prefer the short, bullet-pointed version, just scroll to the recipe card at the end of the page. Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
Here's everything you need to make white Christmas cupcakes...
- Butter: Use softened butter to make it easier to mix- salted or unsalted is fine. In the winter when my kitchen is a little colder, I like to speed up the softening process by putting my butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
- Caster sugar: Also known as superfine sugar. This will give the cupcakes a delicious 'melt-in-your-mouth' texture. In a pinch, granulated white sugar will do the job too.
- Vanilla extract: For extra flavour. If you want to make these cupcakes even more festive, you can add a little peppermint extract in addition to or instead of the vanilla.
- Eggs: 3 Medium eggs will bind the rest of the ingredients together and give the batter a slight lift.
- Self-raising flour: Use self-raising flour if you have it- it already has the raising agents added to it so it's super handy. If you only have plain flour, just use that and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder separately.
- Icing sugar: To make the white frosting.
- Milk: Because we're going for a white colour (rather than a yellow-tinged one), this frosting doesn't contain a lot of butter, so we need to add some milk to make it soft enough to pipe.
- White sprinkles or mini marshmallows: Any white, glittery or snowflake-themed cake sprinkles that you like. Mini white marshmallows will look great too. I used mini snowflakes and small sugar balls.
- Edible snowflake decorations: I used Cake Decor wafer snowflakes for ease but check out my 'top tips' section in this post if you want to make your own.
Kitchen tools
- Cupcake tin: Any tin (or even a tray if you're in a pinch) that will fit 12 paper cases. I really like using a muffin tin as it helps the cupcakes to hold their shape better.
- Cupcake cases: I used regular white ones since these are white Christmas cupcakes but you can use any cases that you like.
- Mixing bowls: A large one for the cake batter and a medium one for the frosting.
- Utensils: You'll need a wooden spoon, a teaspoon and a tablespoon. An ice cream scoop is handy for dividing the batter between your cases but you can also just use some small spoons.
- Piping bag and star nozzle: For that professional-looking swirl of frosting. If you don't have a piping bag, simply spread the frosting on with a knife or teaspoon. It won't look as fancy but it'll taste just as good!
How to make white Christmas snowflake cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using a fan oven) and line a cupcake tin with 12 paper liners.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together 190g of softened butter, 190g of caster sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth. Then stir in 190g of self-raising flour and 3 eggs, a little bit at a time, until you have a smooth but thick cake batter.
Step 3: Divide the batter equally between the 12 cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 4: Prepare the frosting by mixing together 150g of softened butter, 500g of icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more icing sugar or milk as needed to get your desired consistency. Then stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Step 5: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a large star nozzle and pipe some onto each cupcake.
Step 6: Add some festive white sprinkles and edible snowflakes on top and enjoy your white Christmas cupcakes!
Snowflake cupcake tips
- Use a deep-holed tin to help the cupcakes hold their shape better. We want them to rise upwards, not sideways.
- When preparing the frosting, beat the icing sugar and butter together very well. This will help to get rid of any yellow tinge from the butter.
- To make your own snowflakes, simply pipe some snowflake shapes onto baking paper using either white chocolate, white candy melts or royal icing. Once they've hardened, peel them off and pop them onto your winter wonderland cupcakes.
FAQs
These will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To prevent the snowflake decorations from becoming soggy, it's best to add them on immediately before serving.
If you can't find edible snowflake decorations and don't want to make your own, there are plenty of alternatives. You can use edible glitter, mini white marshmallows or white chocolate chips.
Yes, to make these gluten-free, simply swap the self-raising flour for a gluten-free self-raising flour blend. You might need to add a little milk to get the right consistency, as gluten-free flour tends to absorb more liquid. I've also found that adding ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum helps prevent crumbly cupcakes.
Yes, but the two will produce slightly different results. Butter will give a better, richer flavour and margarine will give the cupcakes a slightly softer texture. I personally prefer butter but feel free to experiment to see which one you like best!
Yes, but I'd recommend freezing them (frosted or unfrosted) without the snowflake decorations, which are best added just before serving. You can freeze these winter wonderland cupcakes in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. To defrost them, let them sit out at room temperature for around 1 hour.
More Christmas desserts:
I hope you like these white Christmas snowflake cupcakes. Please leave a rating and comment below to let me know what you think of the recipe. Enjoy!
White Christmas Snowflake Cupcakes (Winter Wonderland)
Ingredients
- 190 g Softened butter
- 190 g Caster sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 190 g Self-raising flour
- 3 Medium eggs
Frosting:
- 150 g Softened butter
- 500 g Icing sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
Decoration:
- 2 Tablespoons White and/or silver cake sprinkles
- 12 Edible snowflake decorations (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan ovens) or 350°F and line a cupcake tin with 12 cases.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until soft and fluffy.
- Mix in the flour and the eggs, 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. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Frosting:
- Mix the butter, icing sugar and milk together until smooth and fluffy. Then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle then pipe some onto each cupcake.
- Top with sprinkles and snowflake decorations and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I used Cake Decor's wafer snowflakes but you can make your own by piping royal icing or white chocolate snowflake shapes onto baking paper. Leave to dry then peel them off the baking paper.
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