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Christmas Light Cupcakes

Festive cupcakes decorated like strings of Christmas lights, perfect for kids to help with decorating.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cupcakes
  • 12 to 14 cupcakes, baked and fully cooled
For the Frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 to 3.5 cups powdered sugar, sifted Adjusted for desired consistency
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk Add gradually until creamy
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
  • as needed black gel food coloring For tinting some frosting black
  • as needed Mini M&Ms or small colorful chocolate-coated candies For decoration
  • optional white sanding sugar For sparkle

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Beat the butter with a mixer until fluffy.
  2. Add powdered sugar in two batches along with salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  3. Add cream a little at a time until you achieve a creamy, spreadable frosting.
  4. Set aside 2 to 3 tablespoons of frosting in a small bowl and tint it black using gel food coloring.
  5. Keep the rest of the frosting white for snowy backgrounds.
Frosting the Cupcakes
  1. Frost the cupcakes with the white frosting using an offset spatula.
  2. Sprinkle a little sanding sugar on top if desired.
Decorating
  1. Spoon the black frosting into a piping bag fitted with a tiny round tip or snip a tiny corner from a zip-top bag.
  2. Pipe a loose swirl or zigzag across each cupcake to create the string of lights.
  3. Press colorful candies along the black line as light bulbs, pressing gently so they stick but do not sink into the frosting.
  4. Chill the cupcakes for 10 minutes to set if packing or transporting.

Notes

Cupcakes are best served at room temperature, so let them sit out for 30 minutes after chilling. Experiment with flavors and decorative styles to make them special for your family.