Snowball Cupcakes

By Anna Helm Baxter, Woman's Day

Fashion this adorable roly-poly elf with these coconut cupcakes.

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Level: Easy

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• Oil, for the pan
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. whole milk

Buttercream Frosting

• 1 lb. confectioners' sugar
• 1 c. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

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Royal Icing

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 lb. confectioners' sugar

Decorations

• Unsweetened finely shredded coconut
• marzipan
• Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses
• Uncooked spaghetti, broken
• Candy canes, broken

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F and oil a 12-hole muffin pan.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, beating each until incorporated before adding the next. Beat in vanilla.

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Reduce the mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and beating just until incorporated.

Divide batter between the muffin holes (about 1/4 cup per hole) and bake until a wooden pick, inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frost each cupcake with buttercream, then coat in coconut.

Form a small piece of marzipan into a head, then use royal icing to glue on a Hershey’s Kiss hat. Stick an uncooked broken piece of spaghetti into the neck of the marzipan head, then stick the other end into the cupcake to attach it.

Form 2 small pieces of marzipan into feet and attach onto candy cane legs, then stick each leg into the cupcake.