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These Christmas strawberry cupcakes have a rich chocolate base and a fun buttercream tree hiding a sweet surprise. They’re perfect for the holiday season!
Remember the excitement of finding gifts under the Christmas tree? Now imagine the tree itself as a delicious treat you can bite into, hiding a delicious surprise inside!
These strawberry filled cupcakes hide fresh berries in the buttercream Christmas tree, all sitting on a moist chocolate cupcake underneath.
Easier than they look, these treats are sure to brighten your holiday season.
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These Christmas themed cupcakes remind me of our Christmas muffins with berries turned into Santa hats.
But if you’re busy with your holiday prep and want a simpler dessert you can make for a crowd, try Christmas pretzels!
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Strawberry Cupcakes Recipe
- These Christmas tree cupcakes are fun, festive, and fit right into the holiday season.
- These strawberry-filled cupcakes are easier to make than they look. Kids (and kids at heart) will surely have a blast helping hide the berries and build the cute little Christmas trees!
- These Christmas strawberry cupcakes turn out perfectly moist and rich. That chocolate-strawberry combo will always win over a crowd.
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
All-purpose flour – Provides the structure for the Christmas strawberry cupcakes.
Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder is a must for chocolate cupcakes, and this rich base pairs so well with strawberries and buttercream. Such a good combo!
Baking powder – To help the cake batter rise.
Granulated sugar – To boost the sweetness of the moist chocolate cupcakes.
Salt and vanilla extract – To keep our chocolate strawberry filled cupcakes from tasting flat.
Vegetable oil – For perfectly moist chocolate cupcakes.
Egg – Binds the ingredients together and helps create soft cupcakes.
Milk – For rich, moist strawberry filled cupcakes.
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
Unsalted butter – Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for easier mixing!
Confectioner’s sugar – Thickens and sweetens the frosting for our fresh strawberry cupcakes.
Creme fraiche – For a smoother, more stable buttercream.
Green gel food color – For tinting our strawberry buttercream trees.
Fresh strawberries – Vibrant, juicy strawberries are the fun surprise inside our Christmas tree cupcakes!
Silver sugar pearls and yellow fondant – The sky is the limit when it comes to festive cupcake frosting ideas! Feel free to get creative with your decorations on these strawberry Christmas cupcakes.
Ingredient Substitutions For Strawberry Filled Cupcakes
Boxed chocolate cake mix
Did you know you can use a box of chocolate cake mix to make these easy Christmas cupcakes? One box makes about 24 regular-sized cupcakes. Just watch the baking time so the chocolate cupcakes don’t overcook!
Candies and coconut
Dress up your Christmas filled cupcakes with fruit garlands, extra chocolate stars, or sprinkle the trees with shredded coconut for a winter feel!
Sugar cone
No strawberries? That’s okay! Place cones on the chocolate cupcakes, then cover them with green frosting to create mini Christmas trees.
Tips For Making This Recipe
Measure Your Ingredients
Use the spoon-and-level method to measure your flour accurately. Too much flour can make your Christmas strawberry cupcakes dry!
Do Not Overfill Your Liners
Only fill your cupcake liners ¾ full so your Christmas themed cupcakes don’t overflow or rise too quickly and sink in the center.
Pat the Berries Dry
Make sure to pat your strawberries dry after washing so the frosting sticks perfectly.
Christmas Themed Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
What fillings work best in cupcakes?
How do you get filling inside a cupcake?
We didn’t fill these simple Christmas cupcakes, but you can use a cupcake corer to create a space in the center for strawberry jam!
How do I tell when my Christmas strawberry cupcakes are done?
To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. These chocolate Christmas cupcakes are ready if the toothpick comes out clean. If the cupcake center also springs back when gently pressed, you’re good to go.
What tip to use for Christmas tree cupcakes?
You can use a star tip 4B to make the buttercream Christmas tree on these strawberry Christmas cupcakes.
How to store strawberry filled cupcakes?
You can store these Christmas buttercream cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, unfrosted chocolate Christmas cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months! Just flash-freeze them and transfer to a freezer-safe bag.
More Delicious Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Christmas Reindeer Cookies
- Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- White Chocolate Dipped Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Apple Crumble Cheesecake
I found this recipe for Classic Christmas Cake that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Christmas Strawberry Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche
- Green gel food color
- 12 to 14 pcs fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup silver sugar pearls
- Yellow fondant
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your cupcake tray with liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, egg, and vanilla extract.
- Pour half of the egg mixture and half of the milk into the dry ingredients, whisking gently for a few seconds.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter into each lined cup, filling them about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes rest in the cupcake pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- Cream the butter with a hand mixer until it’s light and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar in batches, along with the creme fraiche, and beat for 5 to 6 minutes until fluffy.
- Mix in the green gel food coloring until you achieve your desired shade of green for the Christmas trees.
- Wash the strawberries and trim the stems for a flat base. Pat them dry.
- Assemble your piping bag and fill it with the green buttercream.
- Pipe a small amount of frosting onto each cupcake, then gently press an inverted strawberry over it.
- Frost the entire strawberry from the bottom up, using light pressure and a small pull at the end to create pointed tips.
- Decorate the frosting with sugar pearls and finish the festive holiday desserts with fondant stars on top.
Notes
- Use the spoon-and-level method to measure your flour accurately. Too much flour can make your Christmas strawberry cupcakes dry!
- Only fill your cupcake liners ¾ full so your Christmas themed cupcakes don’t overflow or rise too quickly and sink in the center.
- Make sure to pat your strawberries dry after washing so the frosting sticks perfectly.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
