Description
These festive Cupcake Ornaments are a delightful holiday treat featuring moist cupcakes topped with creamy vanilla frosting and decorated with colorful icing and Reese’s miniature cups to resemble Christmas ornaments. Perfect for holiday parties and gatherings, these cupcakes combine classic flavors with a fun, seasonal design that kids and adults will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 24 cupcakes, baked in cupcake liners
- 24 Reese’s miniature cups
For the Frosting
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Red, blue, and green icing pens (or color your own homemade frosting)
Instructions
- Make the Frosting: Combine the powdered sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth and fluffy. Adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or more evaporated milk to thin the frosting as needed.
- Prepare Colored Frosting: Divide about 1 1/2 cups of the white frosting equally into two small bowls, placing approximately 3/4 cup in each. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one bowl and green food coloring to the other, mixing until you achieve your desired shades.
- Frost Cupcakes: Use the remaining 1 1/2 cups of white frosting to generously frost the tops of all 24 cupcakes, creating an even base layer for decoration.
- Prepare Piping Bags: Transfer the red and green colored frostings into separate piping bags or ziplock bags with a small corner snipped off for easy piping.
- Decorate Cupcakes: Use the colored frosting to pipe ornament designs onto the frosted cupcakes. Add creative patterns or festive shapes to resemble holiday ornaments.
- Add Reese’s Miniature Cups: Place one Reese’s miniature cup inside each cupcake liner on top of the decorated frosting to complete the ornament look. For added flair, twist a paper clip into a small fish hook shape and insert it into the Reese’s to mimic an ornament hanger.
Notes
- If the frosting is too thin, add additional powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is reached.
- For a thicker frosting to hold intricate designs better, chill the frosting slightly before piping.
- Substitute butter with margarine for a dairy-free option; adjust flavor accordingly.
- Use food coloring gels instead of liquid drops for more vibrant colors without thinning the frosting.
- To make the ornament hanger, use colorful paper clips or small candy canes for a festive touch.
- The cupcakes can be made ahead of time and frosted just before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
