Description
These festive Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Cupcakes are a delightful holiday treat featuring moist chocolate cupcakes topped with rich chocolate frosting and decorated with adorable reindeer faces made from candy bars, candy eyes, red cinnamon noses, and mini pretzel antlers. Perfect for Christmas parties and holiday gatherings, these cupcakes are both visually charming and deliciously satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 box of chocolate cake mix (makes 24 cupcakes)
- Water, oil, and eggs as per cake mix package directions
Frosting and Decorations
- 2 cans of chocolate frosting
- 24 mini rectangular chocolate candy bars
- 24 red cinnamon candies (red hots)
- 24 candy eyes
- Mini pretzels (enough to make 24 pairs of antlers)
- Red and green sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Bake the Cupcakes: Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the package directions to make 24 cupcakes. Bake as instructed, then remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- Prepare the Frosting: Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, fill a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip and pipe chocolate frosting onto each cupcake in a swirl pattern for an even and professional look.
- Make the Pretzel Antlers: Using a sharp knife, score a groove down the center of each mini pretzel and carefully cut them in half. Trim the halves further to shape them into antlers for the reindeer decoration.
- Prepare Reindeer Faces: Set out the candy bars, candy eyes, red cinnamon candies, pretzel antlers, some extra frosting, and a toothpick or skewer. Dip the tip of the toothpick into frosting and spread a small amount on the back of each candy eye and red cinnamon candy to act as glue.
- Assemble the Faces: Affix two candy eyes onto each chocolate candy bar to create the reindeer’s eyes, then place a red cinnamon candy as the nose. Place these reindeer faces onto the bottom two-thirds of each frosted cupcake, making sure some frosting remains visible above the candy bars where the antlers will be attached.
- Add Pretzel Antlers and Final Decorations: Gently press the pretzel antlers at the top edge of the candy bars to create the antlers. Finally, sprinkle red and green sprinkles around the top of the cupcakes for a festive touch.
Notes
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
- Using a pastry bag helps create cleaner, prettier frosting swirls but can be replaced with a knife or spoon.
- Be careful when cutting pretzels to shape antlers—use a sharp knife and work slowly.
- These cupcakes are best served the same day for maximum freshness but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free chocolate cake mix and pretzels.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
