SweetArtFactory Blog

Quick and Simple Holiday Cupcakes
So easy you can get your children involved with the decorating!

You Need:

• Any flavor cupcakes, baked, cooled and refrigerated
• 1 tub of store-bought white or vanilla frosting
• 1 recipe of Wonder Cream Decorators Frosting (see frosting recipes)
• Variety of candies and sprinkles

Supplies Needed:

• Holly & Berries Cupcake: Small star tip – #16, disposable decorator bag, leaf green food paste/gel, red hots candies
• Christmas Tree Cupcake: Small star tip – #16, disposable decorator bag, leaf green food paste/gel, multi-colored tree lights quins, mini red hearts quins
• Christmas Wreath Cupcake: Small star tip – #16, disposable decorator bag, leaf green food paste/gel, mini red hearts quins, white Airheads candy (for bow)
• Christmas Tree Ornament Cupcake: Small writing tip – #2, disposable decorator bag, Christmas tree quins, red sugar, gum drops
• Snowman Cupcake: Small star tip – #16, disposable decorator bag, sky blue food paste/gel, black gel tube (buy in grocery store), orange gum drop (for nose), snowflake quins
• Snowflake Cupcake: Small writing tip – #2, disposable decorator bag, blue food paste/gel (add coloring to tub of frosting).
• Cute Christmas Tree Cupcake: Small star tip – #16, disposable decorator bag, leaf green food paste/gel, snowflake quins

Cute Cupcake Tree
No one will know it’s cupcakes!  

You Need:

• 11 or more cupcakes, baked, cooled and refrigerated
• 1 recipe of Wonder Cream Frosting (see frosting recipes)

Supplies Needed: Small star tip – #16, medium star tip – #18, 2 disposable decorator bag, red food paste/gel, leaf green food paste/gel, red licorice rope, gum balls or mini jaw breakers.Step-by-Step:

1. Arrange cupcakes into a tree shape (I used 10 for the tree and one for the tree base). To make the base I cut one cup cake in half and place half piece on bottom of tree.
2. Mix green food gel with ¾ of white frosting. Insert #18 tip into decorator bag. Add green frosting. Starting at the bottom of the tree, make large tight u’s along the tree outline. Continue to add another line of tight u’s until you get to the top of the tree.
3. Mix red food gel with remaining white frosting. Insert #16 tip into decorator bag. Add red frosting. Make small u’s along base of tree. Make red star at the top of the tree.
4. Cut licorice rope to make string of lights. Adorn with colorful gumballs or jaw breakers.

Cherry-Fudge Cupcakes
So easy, so divineMakes 24 2-inch diameter cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 package devil’s food cake mix
1 (21-oz.) can cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond flavoring or extract
Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Line cupcake pan with liners
3. In large bowl, beat ingredients together on low speed for 20 seconds. Increase speed for at least one minute until well mixed.
4. Pour into cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on your oven. Check for doneness before removing from oven. Cool and refrigerate prior to decorating.

Apple Ginger Spice Cupcakes
Sweet memories of holiday traditionsMakes 24 2-inch diameter cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 package gingerbread cake mix
1 (21-oz.) can apple pie filling
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon almond flavoring or extract

Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Line cupcake pan with liners
3. In large bowl, beat ingredients together on low speed for 20 seconds. Increase speed for at least one minute until well mixed.
4. Pour into cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on your oven. Check for doneness before removing from oven. Cool and refrigerate prior to decorating.

Heart of Christmas Cookies
See recipe section on website www.SweetArtFactory.com for my sugar cookie recipes

You Need:

• Baked and cooled sugar cookies
• 1 batch Royal Icing
• Candy sprinkles

Supplies Needed: Spatula, writing tip #4 and small star tip #16, disposable decorator bag, leaf green and Christmas red food paste/gel and heart cookie cutter.

Step-by-Step:

1. After making royal icing, create the colors you desire by adding food gel paste and mix well. Royal icing dries fast so keep your bowl of icing covered at all times with a wet paper towel or saran wrap.
2. Using spatula or knife, spread a layer of red, white or green royal icing on the top of the cookie.
3. Make two decorator bags with writing tip and star tip. Using star tip, make small cursive “e’s” or cursive “j’s” to create a border around the cookies. To make the beard of Santa, make cursive “o’s” and cursive “e’s” for the border of his hat. Using the writing tip, make cursive lettering to create whimsical designs for the cookies. Be creative!
4. Adorn with sprinkles. Use tweezers to lay the sprinkles on the cookies.
5. Once the icing is dry and hard to the touch, you can stack the cookies for shipping or transport.

Below are some other fun cookies designs using Christmas tree and gingerbread men cookie cutters. Have FUN!!

Christmas Cupcakes