Snowflake Cupcakes for a Frozen themed party or wintertime treat! Each cupcake is topped with winter sprinkles and a solid white chocolate snowflake.
Isn’t softly falling snow just so darn pretty? It’s my favorite part of the winter season. I love sitting by the window at night watching the snow fall. Put a warm dessert in my hand, like Perfect Homemade Brownies or Chocolate Chip Cookies straight from the oven, and I’ve got myself a fantastic evening!
Snowflake Cupcakes
There’s no doubt that I love baking cupcakes. The name of my website says it all! I started sharing recipes here because of my love for cupcakes.
And because you trust me when it cupcakes (and that’s a massive assumption based solely on the fact that you’re here for a cupcake recipe haha), I want you to trust me when I say the following:
You can make a FANTASTIC cupcake from a cake mix.
It’s completely true and I know this because 90% of the cupcakes on this website come from a cake mix, with a few extra ingredients added in to set them over the top.
I’m telling you, they taste phenomenal.
Add-Ins for Doctored Cake Mixes
- cocoa powder
- sour cream
- buttermilk
- flavored protein powders
- pudding mixes
- peanut butter
- chocolate chips
- extracts and emulsions
- and more!
A cake mix is essentially the dry ingredients for a made-from-scratch cake without all the work. It’s definitely my preferred way to bake cakes and cupcakes!
What goes on a Snowflake Cupcake?
These lovely cupcakes come together with just a few additional elements!
Snowflake Cupcake Toppings
- Smooth, delicious buttercream frosting tinted a Frozen-esque ice blue! I used a very tiny bit of Wilton blue gel icing coloring.
- Next is snowflake sprinkles! You can find them in winter mixes at grocery stores this time of year or you can buy a snowflake sprinkle mix.
- Candy pearls add a nice contrasting shape on the blue backdrop. You can use any size of pearl.
- I used a snowflake chocolate mold to make the snowflakes on top! Simply melt white chocolate, pour in the slots, and allow to cool completely before you take them out.
All of these elements are simple yet elegant. These cupcakes would be perfect for a Frozen birthday party!
Have questions about cupcakes? Check below to see if the answer is there!
What tip is best for frosting cupcakes?
There are a lot of fantastic frosting tips out there, but my very favorite is the Wilton 1M star tip. I used that tip for most of my cupcakes, including these ones!
Why do my cupcakes always bake over the cups?
If your cupcakes come out of the oven and the tops have come over the liner and are touching the pan, it’s likely you filled it too full. Batter should be 2/3 of the way full for a perfect dome on top.
Can I bake two pans of cupcakes at a time?
Yes! The key is to make sure your pans are similar in color or they will bake differently. Or you can invest in a 24-count cupcake pan!
Why do my cupcakes sink in the middle?
Cupcakes can sink for a couple of reasons. The first is that the batter was mixed too much. Over-mixing can cause too much air in the batter. When the cupcakes go in the oven, the air collapses and so will your cupcakes. Another reasons is that you might have opened the oven too soon. If you open the door to check the cupcakes before the batter is set it can cause the cupcakes to sink.
Can cupcakes be frozen?
Yes! First, make sure your cupcakes are completely cool. Then place them in an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How long will my cupcakes last before I frost them?
You’ll want to frost your cupcakes within two days, otherwise you’ll want to freeze them.
More Dessert Recipes for Christmas and Winter!
Because you can never have too many treats during the holidays!
There’s always at least one person who hovers around the dessert table at a party and that person is me. I can’t even explain how much I love Christmas treats! And I love them so much that I put a list together of some of my favorites. Enjoy!
Snowman OREO Balls
- This treat doubles as a dessert as well as a craft! And the best part about them? You can’t mess them up. Turn all the oddballs into melted snowmen!
Rudolph and Friends Cupcakes
- It isn’t Christmas without Rudolph and his forest friends! These delicious cupcakes are topped with whimsical, water color artwork.
Nutter Butter Snowmen
- Another snowman to decorate without having to leave the house! Just dunk the cookies and decorate away.
Snowman Donuts
- These funny little snowmen are the perfect treat for when you want to get the kids involved. They’re super easy and tasty!
Christmas M&M Cookies
- You can never go wrong with a cookie loaded with chocolatey M&M’s. This cookie has a chocolate chip cookie dough base.
Candy Cane Blossoms
- These cookies are some of the first Christmas treats we made with our kids. You take the dough, roll it into balls, and roll the balls in sprinkles. The rest is just a delicious bonus!
White Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn
- All you need is three ingredients to make this festive popcorn treat!
Three Ingredient Cookies and Cream Fudge
- Another three-ingredient dessert and it only takes 15 minutes to make! This fudge is creamy and loaded with delicious Oreo flavor and texture.
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- This is the ultimate chocolate cookie that looks like it’s topped with snow. Perfect for a cold winter day inside!
Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzels
- A sweet and salty treat that doubles as a fantastic neighbor gift! It takes only minutes to make.
Let’s Make Some Cupcakes!
Are you ready to start your cupcakes? They’re going to turn out so pretty!
Don’t forget to e-mail me, comment on this post, or message me on social media if you have any questions! I would love to see your cupcakes when they’re all done. If you share them on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me! @cupcakediariesblog
Snowflake Cupcakes
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- medium mixing bowl
- glass bowls
- silicone spatula
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- muffin tin
- ice cream scoop
- cooling rack
- 16 oz frosting bag
- Wilton 1M frosting tip
- scissors
- snowflake mold
- butter knife
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 chocolate cake mix
- 1/4 c cocoa powder
- 1 c buttermilk
- 1/2 c oil
- 3 large eggs
- 24 silver cupcake liners
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 c unsalted butter, softened but not melted
- 3-4 c powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 Tbsp Mexican vanilla
- 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream or half and half
- blue food coloring gel
White Chocolate Snowflakes & Decorations
- 1 bag white chocolate chips, 12 oz
- winter sprinkle mix, white pearls, and/or snowflake sprinkles
Instructions
Make the White Chocolate Snowflakes
- Pour the white chocolate chips into a glass mixing bowl and heat for 45 seconds, stir, then heat again for another 15 seconds and stir. Heat for an additional 15 seconds at a time as needed, but your chocolate should be just right after the first 45 seconds and 15 seconds.
- Use a spoon to carefully fill your snowflake mold with melted white chocolate. Use a butter knife to smooth the top so the chocolate cools flat.
- Carefully remove snowflakes from the mold when completely cool; set aside.
Bake the Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners into muffin cups.
- Combine buttermilk, oil, and eggs in the bowl of your mixer. Add cake mix and cocoa powder to wet ingredients and mix together until combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 15-17 minutes and remove from the oven to cool.
Prepare the Buttercream
- Beat the butter in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
- Add a very small amount of food coloring gel. (A little goes a long way!) Add 3 cups of powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until combined.
- Add salt, vanilla, and 3 Tbsp heavy cream or half and half and mix on medium speed for two minutes until buttercream is fluffy. Add more food coloring gel if the color is too light, being careful not to add too much.
- Add more sugar if the buttercream is too thin. Add more heavy cream or half and half if the buttercream is too thick.
- Place the frosting in a 16oz frosting bag fixed with a Wilton 1M star tip (cut the end of the frosting bag first to allow the tip to fit). Pipe the frosting in a circular motion evenly over cupcakes.
- Top with desired sprinkles and decorations, then top with a white chocolate snowflake.
Notes
Tools and Gadgets I Used for This Recipe
This post contains affiliate links. I include these links to help you find the products that I used in the recipe. If you purchase an item from the link, I will receive a small commission helping keep my recipes free for you. Thank you for your support!
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Richard Tunner says
I have only the regular cacao powder, it came out absolutely delicious!
Alli says
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing that!
wonderful cook says
Thank you for posting such a lovely recipe! Your cupcakes look so fantastic and delicious! I will make these cupcakes with my nieces this weekend.