Get in the festive spirit with these Rudolf the Reindeer cupcakes

If your kids adore sweets, then you should gear up for the holiday season with these perfect reindeer cupcakes for kids. Bake a dozen and gift the rest of the cupcakes Rudolph, with the trademark red nose with Cadbury Gems. If your kids aren’t fixated, then go for multicolored noses, they will surely find these frosted and decorated reindeer cupcakes quite fun.

Reindeer Cupcakes

(Makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 200 gm unsalted butter, room temperature
• 200 gm light brown soft sugar
• 150 gm self-raising flour
• 50 gm Cadbury cocoa powder
• 4 medium eggs, room temperature

Frosting

• 200 gm unsalted butter (room temp)
• 350 gm icing sugar
• 50 gm Cadbury cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75 ml evaporated milk

Decoration

• 12 pretzels (halved)
• 12 red Cadbury Gems (if your kids aren't picky, go for any color)
• 12 sets of edible eyes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Prepare a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream room temperature unsalted butter and light brown soft sugar together using an electric mixer. Beat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes light, pale, and significantly increased in volume.
3. Sift together self-raising flour and cocoa powder to remove any potential lumps.
4. Add the sifted dry ingredients and eggs to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth and consistent.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 prepared cupcake cases, filling each about two-thirds full to allow room for rising.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes. To check doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake - it should come out clean with no raw batter.
7. Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool entirely to room temperature.
8. For the frosting, begin by beating room temperature unsalted butter alone in a clean mixing bowl for two to three minutes until it becomes very soft and slightly lighter in color.
9. Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder to ensure no lumps remain.
10. Gradually add the sifted sugar and cocoa mixture to the beaten butter, mixing on low speed to prevent sugar from flying out of the bowl.
11. Once initial ingredients are incorporated, add vanilla extract and slowly stream in evaporated milk while continuing to beat. Mix until the frosting becomes smooth, light, and fluffy.
12. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred decorative piping tip, preferably the round 1M piping tip for the perfect frosted tops.
13. Pipe generous swirls of frosting onto each completely cooled cupcake, creating a mounded, peaked effect.
14. For reindeer decoration, carefully place two pretzel halves at the top of each frosted cupcake to create antlers.
15. Position a single red Gems in the center of each cupcake to represent the reindeer's nose.
16. Finally, add two edible eyes to complete the playful reindeer face design.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR PERFECT REINDEER CUPCAKES

• All about the butter: Getting the butter temperature right is crucial for both the cupcakes and the frosting. The butter for cupcakes should be at room temperature butter, soft enough to leave a slight indentation when pressed, not softer or stiffer. Make sure to take butter out of the refrigerator 30-45 minutes before baking, or cut into small cubes and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
• Mixing technique When combining ingredients, avoid overmixing the batter otherwise too much gluten will develop, resulting in tough, dense cupcakes. Mix until ingredients are just combined, a few small lumps are perfectly okay. Follow the recipe closely keeping track of where it says well-done, airy, just done, and so on. All of these help make your cupcakes tender and frosting fluffy and light.
• Piping tips: For professional-looking frosting swirls, use a large star piping tip and hold the bag vertically above the cupcake. Start at the outer edge and pipe in a continuous spiral motion, moving towards the center and building height. Apply consistent pressure and lift straight up to create a perfect peak. If you're not confident in piping, practice on a piece of parchment paper first to get a feel for the technique.
• Decorative Vvariations: While traditional reindeer decorations use pretzels, Cadbury Gems, and edible eyes, you can swap these. For a more gourmet look, use tempered chocolate to create antlers or hand-pipe detailed faces using royal icing.
• Storage and freshness: To maintain the cupcakes' moisture and prevent the frosting from drying out, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Place a piece of parchment paper between layers if stacking. Avoid refrigerating, as this can dry out the cake and make the frosting hard.