These Santa Hat Cupcakes are the perfect festive treat to bring holiday cheer to any gathering! Made with a rich, chocolatey base and topped with a creamy buttercream frosting, each cupcake is finished with a fresh strawberry Santa hat, making them as cute as they are delicious.
Using a doctored cake mix, these cupcakes come together quickly, giving you an impressive holiday dessert with minimal effort. If you’re looking for more easy, crowd-pleasing treats, try the Chocolate Banana Bread, Orange Cake Recipe, or Oreo Cookie Pops each one as simple and delicious as these cupcakes!
Why You’ll Love These Santa Hat Cupcakes
These cupcakes are super easy to make, thanks to the cake mix shortcut, but they taste like they’re made from scratch! The combination of fluffy chocolate cupcakes, creamy vanilla frosting, and fresh strawberries makes them a festive and flavorful treat everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients You Will Need
For the Cupcakes: Use a box of chocolate cake mix, eggs, canola oil, milk, sour cream, and vanilla for a rich, moist base with that homemade taste.
For the Buttercream Frosting: You’ll need slightly softened butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and a bit of milk to make a smooth and creamy frosting that’s perfect for piping.
For the Topping: Fresh strawberries, with stems removed, to create adorable Santa hats.
How to Make Santa Hat Cupcakes
- Prepare the Cupcake Batter: Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix the cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, sour cream, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill each ¾ full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Make the Buttercream Frosting: Beat softened butter and vanilla for 5 minutes until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, and add milk if needed for consistency.
- Assemble: Pipe frosting on each cooled cupcake, add a strawberry on top, and finish with a small dot of frosting at the tip for the Santa hat.
Tips & Tricks
- Mix the Frosting Well: For the smoothest, fluffiest frosting, beat the butter and vanilla for the full 5 minutes before adding powdered sugar.
- Choose Firm Strawberries: Pick strawberries that are firm and similar in size for an even look.
- Adjust Frosting Consistency: If your frosting is too thick, add a bit more milk; if too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.
Storage Advice
Refrigerator: Store these cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, add the strawberries shortly before serving to keep them fresh.
Variations
- Peppermint Twist: Add a drop of peppermint extract to the frosting for a minty holiday flavor.
- Chocolate Buttercream: Try using chocolate buttercream for a double-chocolate twist on these cupcakes.
- Mini Santa Hats: For smaller treats, use mini cupcakes and smaller strawberries for an adorable bite-sized version.
Santa Hat Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcake Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter, slightly softened
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- 24 strawberries, stems cut off
Instructions
Prepare the Cupcake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes until smooth.
- Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and fill each about ¾ full with batter. Bake for around 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Make the Buttercream Frosting
- While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting by mixing the softened butter and vanilla in a stand mixer for 5 minutes to achieve a fluffy texture.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. If needed, add a tablespoon of milk to reach a spreadable consistency.
- Once cooled, pipe the frosting onto each cupcake. Place a strawberry (stem side down) on top of the frosting, pressing gently to secure. Add a small dot of frosting to the tip of each strawberry to complete the Santa hat look.
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