Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Yay!  I graduated college on Friday the 16th!!

But life stands still for no one.  Now comes the fun of attempting to put my degree to good use.  In the meantime I did get the chance to make the Christmas Tree Cupcake I've been dieing to try since I got my cookie cutter in!

Okay, so here's the cupcake from the outside.  Doesn't look like much huh.  Just your average vanilla cake with a vanilla buttercream on the top.  And you're probably saying "hey!  this doesn't look like a Christmas tree".  Well of course it doesn't.  However.....

It does on the inside!!  I am so stoked that this worked!  The ingredients and instructions for making these are listed at the bottom!!  Giving a shout out to Bake It In A Cake for the inspiration.  The site did one with a heart some time ago I think for Valentine's Day.

Cake Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (you can use vanilla too)

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

For tree

1 box white cake mix (prepared as directed)

1.5 to 2 inch Christmas tree cookie cutter

green food coloring or gel

small jelly roll tray or cookie sheet with raised edges

Buttercream

1 lb butter

1 cup plus 2 tblspns sugar

4 egg whites

1 1/4 tspn vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees - line 24 cupcake tins with liner

Prepare cake mix for make the trees. Add green food coloring until cake is a nice shade of green.  Spread mix evenly in one layer in jelly roll tray - cook for 12 minutes or until tooth pick inserted is clean. Allow to cool.  Once cooled, take cookie cutter and cut out 24 Christmas trees.  Set aside.

Prepare cupcake mix.  Fill cupcake liners about half way.  Slowly and carefully press a Christmas tree into the batter - the point might stick out, that's okay.  *If you find the trees are breaking when you place in batter, put a tablespoon of batter in the liner, put Christmas tree in so it will stand up, and slowly fill rest of the liner to 2/3 full.  ****  Make sure you place all the trees in the same direction and remember.  You want to be able to cut into it or bite into it and see the Christmas tree.  You can only cut or bite on two sides to get the tree so remember which way they are facing.  Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Buttercream

Place sugar and egg whites in mixing bowl.  Place over boiling water but don't let the bowl touch the water.  Use a whisk and whisk over the water until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes silky (rub between fingers to check).  Remove from heat.

With whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and sugar until the base of the mixing bowl is cool to the touch.  By tablespoons, add the butter to the mixture until it is smooth and completely incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Replace whisk attachment with paddle.  Mix on high speed until buttercream reaches a thicker consistency (sometimes this take 10 minutes, so be patient.)  Spread or pipe onto cupcakes and decorate!

Happy Holidays everyone!!