These are just darling, and also super possible for any last minute plans you may have, or to leave out for Santa! We usually go a little fancy with what we leave for Santa and Rudolph and I think these cupcakes are perfect! Plus, stores are still open to get ingredients. That said, we were lucky enough to have most of these at home because we’ve been on a baking bonanza extravaganza for weeks now. In fact, today is Christmas Eve and we’re not slowing down. For instance, we’re making two kinds of cookies here. Butter and sugar. Add these buttercream cupcakes to the mix and it’s the holy trinity of good baking.

Christmas Tree Buttercream Cupcakes:

What You Need:

12 of your favorite chocolate cupcakes
¾ cup butter, softened (1 ½ sticks)
3 cups icing sugar
3-5 tbsp milk
Kelly green gel food coloring
1 cup white sprinkles, poured into a bowl
Candies of assorted colors

Yields: One dozen decorated cupcakes

What You Do:

1 – First, ensure that your cupcakes are cool before decorating.

2 – Start by making the buttercream: use an electric mixer and beat butter, icing sugar and milk on medium speed

3 – Next, gradually increase speed to high and beat until completely smooth

4 – Frost each cupcake with an offset spatula. Dip each frosted cupcake into bowl of sprinkles

5 – Then, color the remainder of your buttercream with Kelly green gel food coloring

6 – Using Wilton frosting tip #199, pipe out a tree-like figure on each cupcake

7 – Lastly, decorate with assorted-colored candies and use a yellow one on top