Elf Hat Cupcakes

I love watching movies while wrapping Christmas presents. One of my favorite holiday movies is about a misplaced human that grew up at the north pole and thinks he’s an elf. You probably know the one (hint: smiling’s my favorite!) it makes me laugh and I look forward to our annual viewing each year. 

These elf hat cupcakes are sure to bring plenty of smiles, too. Sugar cones are covered in frosting and dipped in sparkling sugar. Add a few strategically placed fruit chews and you’ve got a batch of holly jolly cupcakes that would make Santa proud!  

First, you’ll mix up your cake mix with eggs oil and some commercially prepared eggnog–that’s right! These cupcakes are eggnog-flavored to bring plenty of holiday spirit!

Next, line a cupcake tin (or two!) with paper liners. Cupcake papers tend to get greasy and fade during baking, so I recommend Betty Crocker no-fade baking cups in holiday prints for a brilliant end result.

Fill the cups 3/4 full and bake until the cakes spring back when pressed in the center, about 20 minutes.

Gather together the sugar cones, cookie icing and sanding sugar.

Squeeze cookie icing into a bowl. Place green sanding sugar in a plate. Cover sugar cones in a thin layer of icing using a frosting spatula. I found it was easiest to hold the cones with two fingers on the inside the cavity while you frost. Roll the cones in sanding sugar.

Place the cones on a sheet of wax paper or parchment to partially set, about 10 minutes. Attach the flat ribbon applicator tip on the extruder of the red cupcake icing.

Pipe a line of frosting around the bottom edge (non-pointed end) of the cones.

Cover each cupcake with a small amount of Betty Crocker® Fluffy White Frosting. I managed to only use one can of frosting, but if you are a frosting fanatic, you might consider using 2 containers.

Dip the frosted cupcakes in the green sanding sugar.

Top each cupcake with a sugar cone. Press the cones into the icing gently but firmly so that it doesn’t wobble when picked up.

Cut each yellow fruit chew into three pieces and knead them until soft. Roll the pieces into three balls.

Gently press one ball onto the tip of each sugar cone.

Cut each pink fruit chew into two pieces and model them into squares. Cut each square in two diagonally.

Flatten each fruit chew slightly and place one piece on either side of the hats to create elf “ears.”

Serve to delighted guests.