Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This ensures that your cupcakes bake evenly. Gather your cupcake liners and place them in a muffin tin.
Prepare your cupcake batter by combining all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. You want your batter to be light and fluffy, the key to those lovely cupcakes!
Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with batter. This allows room for the cupcakes to rise without overflowing.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they spring back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
While the cupcakes are baking, prepare your frosting if you’re making it from scratch. Beat together softened butter and powdered sugar until fluffy, then add in your desired flavor and color.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, it’s time to frost them. Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip for a beautiful finish!
For the Christmas Tree Cupcakes, tint some frosting green and frost high, then add gold star sprinkles for ornaments.
To create the Melted Snowmen Cupcakes, frost the cupcake white, cut a large marshmallow in half, and place the halves on the cupcake. Use sprinkles as buttons and a toothpick with food coloring for arms and a face.
For Santa Hat Cupcakes, tint three-quarters of your frosting red. Use a round tip to pipe the hat and a star tip for the edges.
Finally, for the Pinata Cupcakes, wrap different color frostings in plastic wrap, place them in a pastry bag, hollow out the top of the cupcake, fill it with sprinkles, and frost the top!
