Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 12

This recipe uses store-bought cake mix, making the process much easier. To make these Christmas cupcakes, you don't need to buy fancy molds. Simply roll foil balls and arrange them in the following pattern between paper liners and the sides of standard muffin tins. The end result is a pair of reindeer, gingerbread men, mittens, snowmen, angels, and snowflakes. Decorate the cupcakes with colorful frosting and M&Ms. The results will be spectacular!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1 package (430 gr.) cake mixes (for 12 pieces) + necessary additional ingredients

Colored glaze

• 220 g (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 package (450 g) of powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of coarse salt
• 1–2 tablespoons of milk
• Brown, red and yellow gel food coloring

Decor

• 14 brown, 6 red, 2 green, and 2 orange mini M&M's
• 2 red chocolate candies, such as M&M's
• 3 thin pretzels
• White nonpareil
• White decorative sugar

Special equipment

• Foil
• Two 6-cup muffin pans
• 12 large muffin cups
• 2 large round piping tips (e.g. #805 or #806)
• 2 small round piping tips (e.g. #801 or #5)
• 2 small ribbed bits (e.g. #821 or #15)
• Pastry bags

Substituting ingredients
Measuring containers used

1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

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Preparation:

Step 1
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large muffin tins with paper liners. Cut a sheet of foil into 50 1x2-inch (2.5 x 5 cm) rectangles; roll each into a small ball. Cut another sheet of foil into four 2x4-inch (5 x 10 cm) rectangles; fold each piece into a 1-inch (2.5 cm) square. Set aside.
Step 2
• Mix the sponge cake dough according to the package directions and divide it into the prepared molds (about 1/3 cup per serving).
  
  
  To create muffins with a decorative shape, place the foil balls between the paper liner and the pan in the following order, using the clock face as a guide:
  
  
  

  Cupcakes "Deer"

Step 3
• 
  1 ball of foil at 12 o'clock, then one ball at 2 and 10 o'clock to shape the ears.
  
  

  Gingerbread Man Cupcakes

Step 4
• 
  1 foil ball each at 1, 4, 6, 8 and 11 o'clock to decorate the head, arms and legs.
  
  
Step 5

• Mittens Cupcakes

  
  One foil ball on each side at 3 o'clock to form the thumb shape, then a 3rd foil ball at 7 o'clock to form the cuff.
  
  

  Snowman Cupcakes

Step 6
• 
  Place 1 foil ball at the 2, 4, 8, and 10 o'clock positions to shape the head, body, and base. Place 1 square of foil on each side of the body to compress it slightly.
  
  

  Angel Cupcakes

Step 7
• 
  1 foil ball at 1, 4, 6, 8 and 11 o'clock to shape the head, wings and skirt.
Step 8

• Snowflake Cupcakes

  
  1 foil ball for 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 o'clock.
Step 9
• Form the muffins in the second pan in the same manner. Bake until golden brown and springy when lightly pressed, 21–24 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 10

• Colored glaze:

  
  Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and salt, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. If the icing is too thick, add a little milk.
Step 11
• Transfer 3/4 cup frosting to a small bowl and tint with brown food coloring for the reindeer and gingerbread men; place 1/2 cup of the remaining frosting in a second small bowl and tint with red for the mittens; and place 1/3 cup of the remaining frosting in a third small bowl and tint with yellow for the angel wings. Combine 2 tablespoons of the remaining white frosting with 1 tablespoon each of brown, red, and yellow frosting in a small bowl, adjusting the color as desired to match the angels' skin tones.
  
  

  Place each color of icing into a separate pastry bag fitted with a tip.

  
  Brown glaze: large round tip (e.g. #805)
  
  Red glaze: small serrated tip (e.g. #821)
  
  Yellow glaze: small serrated tip (e.g. #15)
  
  Flesh-colored glaze: small round tip (e.g. #801)
  
  0.5 cup white glaze: large round tip (e.g. #806)
  
  Remaining white icing: small round tip (eg #5)
  
  
  

  Decorate each pair of cupcakes:

  
  

  Deer

Step 12
• 
  Following the cupcake shape, pipe brown frosting into 1 large mound for the center of the face and 2 smaller mounds for the cheeks. Pipe 2 brown ears. Using a large tip, spread white frosting between the cheeks into the 2 large mounds to form the muzzle. Make 2 smaller mounds above the muzzle for the eyes. Press 2 brown mini-jelly beans into the centers of the eyes to create the pupils, 2 red mini-jelly beans in the centers of the ears, and 1 larger red bean into the center of the muzzle for the nose.
  
  
Step 13
• 
  Carefully break the pretzel to form two antlers and insert them next to the ears. Repeat with the second reindeer-shaped muffin.
  
  

  Gingerbread men

Step 14
• 
  Following the cupcake shape, pipe 6 large mounds of brown frosting for the head, limbs, and body. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
Step 15
• 
  Pipe white icing with a small tip around the perimeter of the gingerbread man.
Step 16
• 
  Next, draw eyes, a smile, and a zig-zag cuff on each limb. Press two red or green mini-jelly beans into the center of the body to create a row of buttons. Repeat with the second gingerbread man.
  
  
Step 17

• Mittens

  
  Following the shape of the cupcake, spread red icing over the top of the mitten, leaving the cuff empty. Using a small tip, apply white icing in vertical lines, then outline the mitten with a dotted line. Decorate with white nonpareils. Decorate the second mitten cupcake in the same way.
  
  

  Snowmen

Step 18
• 
  
  
  
  Following the shape of the cupcake, pipe white frosting in three large mounds to form the body of the snowman.
Step 19
• 
  Press 3 brown mini jelly beans into the center of the body to create a row of buttons, and press 2 more onto the head to create eyes. Press an orange jelly bean sideways between the eyes to create a nose.
Step 20
• 
  
  
  
  Carefully break the pretzel in half to create two handles and press them onto the sides of the body. Repeat with the second snowman.
  
  

  Angels

  
  
  
Step 21
• 
  
  
  
  Pipe a mound of flesh-colored icing onto the head.
Step 22
• 
  Following the shape of the cupcake, pipe yellow frosting in a slight circular motion down the sides to create feathers on the two wings.
Step 23
• 
  Pipe white icing with a small tip in vertical lines to create the skirt, then three rows of small lines to create the body. Draw a line dividing the body and skirt to create the belt. Pipe yellow icing in a ring on the head for the halo. Decorate the second angel in the same way.
Step 24

• Snowflakes

  
  Following the cupcake shape, pipe white frosting using a small #5 round tip in double lines to create a star in the center. Pipe a small arrow on the lines to connect them to form a snowflake, and pipe the arrow toward the center. Decorate the empty space with small dots of frosting and sprinkle with white decorative sugar. Decorate the second snowflake in the same way.

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