Posted by These Reindeer Cupcakes are chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and a Rudolph decoration! They are so quick and easy, are perfect to make with friends and family, and are so festive for the holiday season!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 cupcake
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- ¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (210g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (85g) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (120g) buttermilk, room temperature
For the Frosting
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (54g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup (80g) heavy cream
For the Decoration
- 24 candy eyes
- 24 mini pretzel twists
- 12 red candies
Instructions
For the Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line your 12-count muffin tray with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, room temperature sour cream, and room temperature buttermilk together. Whisk until smooth.
- Add your properly measured all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Mix with a whisk only until you see the dry flour pieces disappear.
- Then, transfer your batter to the 12 liners, adding about ¼-1/3 cup of batter to each cavity. The cupcakes should be ¾ full.
- Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes look slightly shiny, the centers look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with moist crumbs. Allow the cupcakes to cool before decorating.
For the Frosting
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder on low speed until smooth. This should be about 2-3 minutes of mixing.
- Pour heavy cream into the frosting and beat on high speed for at least 3 minutes to create a light frosting. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or a zippable plastic bag with the corner snipped off for greater control when frosting.
For the Decorating
- Pipe or spread a dollop of chocolate frosting on each cupcake before flattening it out with a knife or the back of a spoon.
- Place two pretzel twists towards the top of the cupcake on either side to mimic horns.
- Then, add two candy eyes towards the center of the cupcake and a red candy right below for Rudolph’s nose.
- Store the cupcakes in an airtight container or tightly covered for up to 4 days at room temperature.
Notes
Buttermilk: Regular milk will not produce the same light and fluffy texture. However, you can make homemade buttermilk by adding 1 ½ teaspoons (½ tablespoon) of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Then, pour room temperature dairy milk into the container to reach the ½ cup mark. Finally, mix the milk and lemon juice or vinegar together before letting it sit for 5 minutes.
