Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Mix together the oil, sour cream, heavy cream and eggs either by hand or in a stand mixer. Then mix in the boxed cake mix, cocoa powder, and espresso powder if using.
- Scoop the batter into your cupcake liners using a 1/4 measuring cup.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Make sure to bake all the cakes on the same oven rack so they bake evenly.
- Let the cupcakes cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- In a stand mixer, whip your butter chunks on medium high speed until the butter is light and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
- Once the powdered sugar becomes hard to incorporate, add in the vanilla, heavy cream, and pinch of salt, allowing the ingredients to incorporate fully.
- Add in green gel food coloring until you get the green you are looking for.
- Using your 1M piping tip and the green frosting, frost your cupcakes. Start piping on the outside making your way up and in towards the middle while building the frosting up in a circular motion.
- Place a star at the top and then use other sprinkles to decorate the tree. Add sprinkles immediately after frosting while the buttercream is still soft.
Notes
Add sprinkles right after you make the tree. If the frosting sets up the sprinkles won't stick. To make a darker green colored frosting, stir in a tiny bit of blue and black food coloring gel to the green frosting. You can practice piping and scrape it off to try again if needed.