Pull-Apart Cupcake Wreath for Holiday Parties

Pull-Apart Cupcake Wreath Cake

Author Elizabeth LaBau

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 2 1/2 cups (about 10.33 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups (about 14 oz) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (8 oz) sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt

For the Frosting and Assembly:

• 8 cups (about 36 oz) powdered sugar
• 12 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Green gel food coloring
• 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup large red candies (or gumballs or maraschino cherries)
• Piping bag and a large leaf piping tip (Wilton #366 recommended)

Instructions

To Make the Cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake wells with liners.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then add vanilla.
• With the mixer on low, add one-third of the flour mixture, then half the sour cream. Add half of the remaining flour, the rest of the sour cream, and finish with the remaining flour. Scrape the bowl and mix briefly to combine.
• Fill liners just under two-thirds full. Bake 20–22 minutes at 350°F, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Buttercream:

• Combine powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low until the sugar is moistened, then increase speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of frosting and stir in the melted, cooled unsweetened chocolate to make a chocolate buttercream. Tint the remaining frosting green with gel food coloring until you reach a leafy hue.

To Make the Pine Cones:

• Remove wrappers from 4 cooled cupcakes. Crumble them into a bowl and add a few spoonfuls of chocolate buttercream. Mix until the crumbs and frosting form a pliable, play-doh–like dough. Add more frosting if needed.
• Divide the mixture into three portions. Shape each portion into a 3-inch teardrop and place on waxed paper.
• Melt the chocolate chips. Dip the tip of a sliced almond into the melted chocolate and press it onto the teardrop, overlapping pieces from back to front to simulate pinecone scales. Continue until each cone is covered. Chill briefly to set, about 15 minutes.

To Assemble the Cupcake Wreath:

• Arrange 13 cupcakes in an outer ring on a large serving plate and place 7 cupcakes inside to form the wreath center.
• Spoon a thin layer of green buttercream on the tops to help the cupcakes stick together and to cover their tops.
• Fit a piping bag with the large leaf tip and pipe leaves over the wreath, working from the center outward. Continue until the entire surface is covered with overlapping leaves.
• Transfer the chilled pine cones onto the wreath and add red candies as berries. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

This recipe produces a generous amount of buttercream. A large quantity helps fill the gaps between cupcakes and ensures they stick together; if you want to use less, skip the initial crumb coat and accept that some cupcake tops may peek through beneath the leaves.

Measuring Tips

These recipes are developed with weight measurements in mind, and using a kitchen scale will give the most consistent results. Volume (cup) measurements are also provided, but note that weight and volume are not interchangeable in baking—use whatever system you prefer, and adjust carefully.

Nutrition

Calories: 320 kcal | Carbohydrates: 71 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 25 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Cholesterol: 83 mg | Sodium: 148 mg | Sugar: 60 g