Sometimes you just have to go with cute. Pictures of Reindeer cupcakes have been floating around various places for a while, but without instructions. Your Cup of Cake fixed that by coming up with these step by step instructions. You can use your favorite cupcake recipe instead (if you have one) but stick with a non fluffy frosting for the best results. Let the kids join in to decorate for some family fun time!
Reindeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 C. oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. milk or buttermilk
1/2 C. sour cream
Chocolate Frosting:
1 C. butter
1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 C. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
Pretzles, for antlers
Nilla Wafers, for muzzles
Brown M&M’s for noses (some red for Rudolph)
White Mint M&M’s for eyes
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.
2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, vanilla extract, milk and sour cream until smooth.
4. Stir in cake mix.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 16-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
6. Let cool.
7. Chocolate frosting: Beat butter. Add cocoa powder, 2 C. powdered sugar and milk. Slowly add more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
8. Prep reindeer “faces” by using frosting to stick brown M&M’s on Nilla Wafers (some red for Rudolphs if you want). Melt down a few chocolate chips, put in a small plastic bag, snip off the tip to make a mini piping bag and “dot” little eyeballs on the white M&M’s to make eyes.
9. Frost cupcakes.
10. (See photos below) Place Nilla wafers with M&M’s on cupcakes, then place pretzels above. Use a little frosting to stick on 2 eyes and there you go!