Christmas Holly Cupcakes

I absolutely love making holiday themed desserts for Christmas! Whether it’s Christmas sugar cookies the kids and I make for the neighbors or a special dessert like these cupcakes, baking special treats this time of year really puts me into the holiday spirit! These festive Holly Cupcakes are perfect for dessert on Christmas Day, as teacher or neighbor gifts or for a Christmas playdate or party! Read on for all the delicious details, supplies and recipe…

Christmas Holly Cupcake Recipe

First and foremost, please turn on your favorite Christmas music as you read this post and prepare to bake… I’m pretty sure it’s an obligatory initial step with any holiday baking! And if you’re anything like my sister-in-laws and I, holiday baking also requires a nice cold glass of bubbly! I mean, you have to get in the holiday spirit, right?

Now that we have that out of the way, please plan ahead when making these cupcakes, because the fondant leaves do require 24 hours to fully dry and set. You could do the leaves and the cupcakes one day and save the frosting and decoration for the next day.

There are a handful of items you’ll want to make sure you have on hand as well, especially if you haven’t worked with fondant before. Although you’ll likely have the majority of ingredients and tools in your pantry or refrigerator already, you’ll want to make sure you also have:

• Adorable Christmas Cupcake Liners
• Mini Leaf Cookie Cutter
• Fondant Veining Tool
• Fondant Rolling Pin
• Green Edible Marker
• Red Food Coloring
• Large Piping Bag with a Star Tip
• Red M&Ms

Holly Fondant Leaves

This recipe makes about 22 cupcakes, so you’ll need 44 leaves in total. You’ll start by rolling out your green fondant until it’s 1/2″ thick, then use your mini leaf cookie cutter to cut out all your leaves. Let those dry for an hour and then use your veining tool to make imprints in the leaves. We did one vein down the middle and then 3 sets of “v’s” for each Holly leaf. Next, use your green edible marker to trace the imprints you made to give them some depth. Let them fully dry over the next 24 hours.

Christmas Holly Cupcakes

Because you did extra work making fondant leaves, I think it’s only fair to use a box cake for the cupcakes, don’t you?! You’re welcome to make cupcakes from scratch, but I opted for a French Vanilla  cake mix and added in a little extra vanilla. After you mix up your batter according to the recipe below, fill your cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full and then bake! Once they’re done, make sure they fully cool before you start frosting them.

Christmas Holly Cupcake Frosting

I opted for a traditional buttercream frosting for these festive cupcakes and combined red and white to really give it a special look. Once you’ve mixed up your frosting according to the recipe, you’ll divide it into two bowls. One you’ll keep white and the other you’ll add your red food coloring to until it’s the color of red you desire. Next, you’ll carefully add the white frosting to one side of your piping bag.

Next, add the red icing to the other side of the piping bag – and yes, it’s going to be a little messy, but don’t worry about perfection – when the colors swirl together, no one will know the difference!

Then frost those cupcakes, baby! I like to go around the outside first and then swirl up and around until it’s completely covered.

And viola! A beautiful combination of red and white that’s sure to invoke visions of candy canes! The last thing to do is add your fondant leaves – two for each cupcake. Finally, place three M&Ms between the leaves to create your Holly leaves. And you’re done!

Be sure to give these a try this holiday season! It’s always fun to try a new recipe and these Christmas Holly Cupcakes are sure to be appreciated by all your friends and family! Pin this post for later so you’ll have it when you’re ready to bake!

Print Recipe

Christmas Holly Cupcakes

These festive Christmas Holly Cupcakes are perfect for dessert on Christmas Day, as teacher or neighbor gifts or for a Christmas playdate or party! Enjoy!

Course

Dessert

Cook Time

21 minutes

Servings

cupcakes

Ingredients

Holly Cupcakes

• 1 box French Vanilla cake mix
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 TBSP pure vanilla extract

Holly Cupcake Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3-5 TBSP heavy whipping cream
• 3-6 drops red food coloring adjust to your preference
• 1 large piping bag fitted with a star tip

Holly Fondant Leaves

• 1 tube green fondant
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 green edible marker
• 1 mini leaf cookie cutter
• 1 fondant veining tool for leaf imprints
• 1 fondant rolling pin
• 66 red M&Ms

Course Dessert Cook Time 21 minutes Servings cupcakes Ingredients Holly Cupcakes 1 box French Vanilla cake mix 3 large eggs room temperature 1/2 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened 1 cup whole milk 1 TBSP pure vanilla extract Holly Cupcake Frosting 1 cup unsalted sweet cream butter softened 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3-5 TBSP heavy whipping cream 3-6 drops red food coloring adjust to your preference 1 large piping bag fitted with a star tip Holly Fondant Leaves 1 tube green fondant 1 cup powdered sugar 1 green edible marker 1 mini leaf cookie cutter 1 fondant veining tool for leaf imprints 1 fondant rolling pin 66 red M&Ms

Instructions

Holly Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line cupcake pan with the cupcake liners.
3. In a medium bowl, add the cake mix, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla extract; stir until combined.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.
5. Bake in the oven for about 21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Pull out the cupcakes and allow to cool before frosting.

Holly Cupcake Frosting

1. Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed. Mix until you see stiffed peaks in your frosting.
2. Split the frosting into two bowls, leaving one of them white.
3. Add 3-6 drops of red food coloring into the second bowl and mix until you get a bright red color.
4. Using a butter knife, scoop the white color onto one side of your piping bag.
5. Spoon the red frosting onto the other side of your piping bag.
6. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

Holly Fondant Leaves

1. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a cutting board.
2. Place the green fondant onto the cutting board and sprinkle more powdered sugar onto the fondant.
3. Roll out into 1/2 inch thickness.
4. Using the leaf cutter, cut out 44 leaves and set aside.
5. Allow leaves to dry for an hour before using the pin and making the imprints.
6. Use the green marker and trace the imprints in the leaves.
7. Allow to dry for 24 hours and then place two leaves onto the frosting and three red M&M's to create your holly on top of the cupcake. Enjoy!

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