Page 409 - Cupcakes

on 2 cupcakes and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon,

taking care to cover the tops completely. If making the larger tree, frost 4
cupcakes with untinted frosting. Cover the untinted frosting heavily with the
chocolate sprinkles. Frost the remaining cupcakes with the tinted frosting. Set
the cupcakes aside.

3. If making a smaller tree, set the smaller platter on a work surface with the
short side closest to you. If making the larger tree, use the larger platter.

4. If making the smaller tree, place 1 cupcake near the top of the platter. Place 2
cupcakes side by side below it. Place 3 cupcakes side by side below the row of 2
cupcakes. And place 4 cupcakes side by side below the row of 3. Make sure the

rows form a neat triangular Christmas tree shape. For the trunk, place 1 of the 2
cupcakes with chocolate sprinkles in the center below the 4 cupcakes. Place the
last cupcake directly below this cupcake.

If making the larger tree, follow the same method for building the tree, adding
a row of 5 cupcakes below the row of 4, and a row of 6 cupcakes below it. Place
2 sprinkle-covered cupcakes side by side and centered below the row of 6
cupcakes. Place the last 2 cupcakes directly below these cupcakes to create a tree
trunk.

5. Decorate the green-tinted cupcakes with the colorful candies to resemble
ornaments. Garnish with popcorn strings if desired. The Cupcake Christmas Tree
is ready to serve.

the Cupcake Doctor says...

For fun, use the green cupcake recipe in the St. Patrick’s Pistachio Cupcakes
(page 188) or choose any chocolate cupcake recipe you prefer. In order to
have enough batter for 25 cupcakes for the larger tree, you will need to
slightly underfill the cupcake liners when you bake the cupcakes. You may
need to bake them for slightly less time than the recipe says.

Store the tree without the candies, lightly covered with waxed paper or plastic
wrap, in the refrigerator for no longer than 4 hours. Decorate with the
candies right before serving.