For a super fun holiday dessert to make with your kiddos, you should try these Christmas Lights Cupcakes! They are so easy to decorate, and really add a fun flair to plain cupcakes. We love chocolate cupcakes, and I absolutely used a mix for this.... it's the busy season, right? The buttercream frosting is to die for! Then just a little black frosting and some M&M's, and you've got the cutest cupcakes this side of the North Pole.
Christmas Lights Cupcakes
Makes 12
1 gluten free chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients on box for preparation)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Black writing icing
M&M's
Make cupcakes according to package directions. Cool completely. For the frosting, in a mixing bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating between each. Add vanilla and almond extract. Add cream to get desired consistency. Put in piping bag and frost cupcakes. Using black writing icing, start in the center and make a continuous swirling line all the way out to the edge (like a string of lights). Add various colors of M&M's along the black line to look like lights, putting them in on their sides so they poke out.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need a gluten free cake mix (any flavor you feel like), butter, powdered sugar, vanilla (I use clear vanilla for white frostings), almond extract, heavy cream, black writing icing, and M&M's. We love Krusteaz Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix.
Prepare cupcakes according to package directions, place cupcake wrappers in pan, and fill with batter.
Bake cupcakes according to package directions. Let cool completely.
To make the most scrumptious buttercream frosting, add 2 sticks butter (1 cup) to a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy.
Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extract.
Add 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream to get desired consistency. You can just eyeball it.
This is the fluffiest, most delicious frosting! You'll definitely be licking that spatula.
Using a piping bag or spatula, frost the cooled cupcakes.
Take the black writing icing and draw a thin line, starting in the top middle and working around in a continuous swirl, like a strand of lights, until you get out to the edge.
Add M&M's along the black line for the lights. You could do just red and green, but I really love the multicolored lights! Put the M&M's on their edge so they poke out.
They are such a fun presentation, and even more fun to eat!
These cupcakes will light up any friends or family as a gift, or any party or get together. They couldn't be easier, and really look like Christmas. SO MUCH FUN.
Recipe Source: Saw this idea years ago on Pinterest. Frosting recipe from Shanna's recipe box
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