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Santa Hat Cupcakes

Santa Hat Cupcakes
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Santa Hat Cupcakes are festive, moist, and delicious treats that combine a tender red velvet cake base with creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, styled to resemble Santa hats. Perfect for holiday parties and family baking fun, these cupcakes capture the holiday spirit with minimal fuss and maximum charm.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free option)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Red food coloring (to achieve vibrant red color, or substitute with beet juice powder or freeze-dried strawberry powder)

Frosting & Decoration

  • Vanilla buttercream frosting (made from softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a splash of milk)
  • Mini marshmallows or white fondant balls (for hat pom-poms)
  • Optional: Red food coloring or red-tinted frosting (for the main hat cone)
  • Optional garnishes: crushed candy canes, edible glitter, red and white sugar beads

Instructions

  1. Prepare Your Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake tin with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined. Finally, gently stir in the red food coloring until the batter is evenly vibrant.
  2. Bake the Cupcakes: Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
  3. Make the Frosting: Prepare vanilla buttercream by beating softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla extract, and a little milk until the frosting is fluffy yet pipeable. Tint a small portion red to create the hat’s main cone if desired, or leave the majority white for trim and pom-poms.
  4. Frost and Decorate: Using a piping bag fitted with a star tip, pipe a generous swirl of white frosting around the base edge of each cupcake to form the hat’s trim. Pipe a tall cone of red frosting on top for the main hat body. Finish by placing a mini marshmallow or fondant ball on the tip to represent the Santa hat’s pom-pom. Optionally, sprinkle additional festive decorations such as edible glitter or crushed candy canes.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth batter and avoid lumps.
  • Don’t overmix the batter to keep cupcakes light and fluffy.
  • Practice piping frosting on parchment paper if you’re new to piping.
  • Add red food coloring gradually to avoid overpowering taste.
  • Chill cupcakes before frosting to help the frosting hold its shape.
  • Leftover cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
  • Unfrosted cupcakes freeze well for up to 3 months; frost after thawing. Fully decorated cupcakes can be frozen up to 1 month.
  • Reheat unfrosted cupcakes at 300°F (150°C) for 5-7 minutes. Avoid reheating frosted cupcakes.

Nutrition

Keywords: Santa Hat Cupcakes, Christmas cupcakes, holiday desserts, red velvet cupcakes, festive cupcakes, vanilla buttercream frosting, holiday baking, kid-friendly cupcakes

Find it online: https://gourmetglazing.com/santa-hat-cupcakes/