Santa’s Workshop Cupcakes
These festive cupcakes are perfect for gifting or brightening the Christmas table. Most ingredients can be found at Spano’s, and for extras like edible silver balls, mini star toppers or candy eyes, check hobby or baking stores – or simply get creative and decorate with whatever treasures you can find in your pantry.
What do I need?
For the cupcakes
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups self-raising flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For decorating
- 250 g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups icing sugar mixture, sifted
- 2 tbsp milk
- Green food colouring
- Red food colouring
- Marshmallows (large size for snowmen)
- Pretzel twists (for antlers)
- Mini chocolate balls (for reindeer noses)
- Edible silver balls, coloured sprinkles, or mini stars (optional)
- Small candy eyes or black writing gel
- Mini candy canes or thin pretzel sticks (snowman arms)
How do I make it?
Make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C
fan-forced) and line a twelve-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Beat 125 grams of softened butter and ¾ cup caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Fold in flour, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Spoon mixture into cases and bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
Make the buttercream:
Beat 250 grams of softened butter until pale. Gradually add 3 cups sifted icing sugar mixture and 2 tablespoons of milk, beating until smooth and fluffy. This batch will cover all cupcakes.
To make the Christmas tree cupcakes:
Tint a portion of buttercream green. Fit a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe tall swirls onto cupcakes to form trees. Decorate with sprinkles, silver balls, or small candy pieces, and top with a mini star if available.
To make the snowman cupcakes:
Spread white buttercream over cupcakes. Place a large marshmallow in the centre for the head. Use candy eyes or black writing gel for eyes and buttons, and an orange sprinkle or writing gel for the nose. Push pretzel sticks or mini candy canes into the sides for arms.
To make the Santa hat cupcakes:
Tint buttercream red, keeping a little white aside. Pipe red buttercream into tall cone shapes. Pipe a ring of white buttercream around the base and add a mini ball of white buttercream on top for the pom-pom.
To make the reindeer cupcakes:
Spread or pipe white buttercream into a dome shape. Add candy eyes or black writing gel. Press a mini chocolate ball in the centre for the nose. Break pretzels into antler shapes and push gently into
the buttercream.
