Cupcake Christmas Tree Centerpiece (Print Page)
A towering display of vanilla cupcakes topped with vibrant green buttercream, arranged in a tree shape and adorned with edible ornaments and a golden star.
# What You Need:
→ Cupcakes
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - ¾ cup whole milk
→ Buttercream Frosting
10 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2–3 tablespoons whole milk
13 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 - Green gel food coloring
→ Decorations
15 - Multicolored round sprinkles
16 - Edible gold star topper
17 - Mini candy canes or sugar pearls (optional)
18 - Shredded coconut (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
02 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
04 - Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
06 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, then vanilla and milk as needed for desired consistency. Tint with green gel food coloring.
07 - Once cupcakes are completely cool, pipe buttercream in a tall swirl on each cupcake using a large star tip.
08 - Arrange cupcakes in a tree shape on a large board or platter: start with 7 cupcakes at the base, then 6, 5, 4, and finish with 2 and 1 at the top to form a triangle.
09 - Decorate with sprinkles as ornaments. Place the gold star topper at the peak. Add candy canes, pearls, or coconut for extra decoration if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Its the showstopping centerpiece that makes people reach for their phones before they reach for a fork
- The tree arrangement lets you serve 24 people without cutting a single slice
02 -
- Completely cooled cupcakes are nonnegotiable or your buttercream will melt into a sad puddle
- The tree shape needs a sturdy serving board or platter with enough perimeter space
03 -
- Practice your tree arrangement with empty liners first so you know exactly where each cupcake goes
- Make extra buttercream because you'll want more for those tall fluffy swirls than you expect