Description
Festive holiday magic comes alive with Christmas Santa Face Cupcakes, perfectly combining whimsical design and delightful flavor. Cute red-and-white themed treats bring Christmas cheer to your dessert table, delighting both children and adults with their playful seasonal charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 box favorite cake mix (plus ingredients as per box instructions)
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (454 grams) powdered sugar
Flavoring and Liquid Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 milliliters) milk
- Red food coloring
Decorative Ingredients:
- Mini marshmallows
- Mini chocolate chips
- Red candies (for Santa’s nose)
- White candy pearls or sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to cake mix instructions and prepare cupcake pan with liners, ensuring even spacing for uniform baking.
- Mix cake batter following package directions, carefully combining ingredients until smooth and lump-free.
- Pour batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising during baking.
- Bake cupcakes at recommended temperature, typically 350°F, for specified time until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from oven and transfer to a cooling rack, allowing them to cool completely to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth and pale, using an electric mixer at medium speed.
- Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition to prevent lumps and achieve a silky texture.
- Add vanilla extract and milk, blending until frosting becomes light, fluffy, and spreadable.
- Separate frosting into two portions, using red food coloring to tint one half for Santa’s hat.
- Apply red frosting to the top half of each cupcake, creating a smooth, even hat shape.
- Use white frosting to pipe a beard along the bottom edge and trim of the hat, creating textured details.
- Place a mini marshmallow at the hat’s tip to represent the traditional Santa pom-pom.
- Carefully position mini chocolate chips as eyes and a small red candy for Santa’s nose.
- Sprinkle white candy pearls or sprinkles around the design to enhance the festive appearance.
- Refrigerate decorated cupcakes for 15 minutes to set the frosting before serving.
Notes
- Customize cake mix by adding a teaspoon of peppermint extract or holiday spices like cinnamon for extra festive flavor.
- Chill butter at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before beating to achieve smoother, more consistent frosting texture.
- Substitute dairy milk with almond or oat milk for a vegan-friendly version, ensuring creamy consistency remains intact.
- Practice piping techniques on parchment paper first to achieve clean, professional-looking Santa face decorations on cupcakes.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg