Baking · Country Living
Snowman Cupcakes
Tender buttermilk vanilla cupcakes frosted, coated in coconut “snow,” and piped with cheerful snowman faces.
Recipe adapted from Country Living — view original recipe (opens in a new tab).
Directions independently written by Local Loop; not tested in our kitchen. AI-generated illustrative photo, not the source’s photo.
The recipe
2 dozen cupcakes- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- Not specified
- Total
- 120 min
Country Living lists 20 minutes prep and 2 hours total, including 16–18 minutes baking and full cooling.
Ingredients
0 of 16 checked
For the cupcakes
For the buttercream and decorating
Equipment
- Two 12-cup muffin pans
- Paper liners
- Bowls
- Whisk
- Electric mixer
- Wire rack
- 2 piping bags with small round tips (or zip-top bags)
Allergen note: Contains wheat, milk, eggs, and coconut (classified by the FDA as a tree nut).
Instructions
Mix the batter
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two 12-cup muffin pans. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat the oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk on medium for about 1 minute, then add the dry mixture and beat 1–2 minutes.
Bake and cool
Fill each liner about two-thirds full. Bake 16–18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pans, then completely on a rack.
Make the buttercream
Beat the butter on medium 1–2 minutes until creamy. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, then the remaining 2 cups. Set aside 1½ cups of buttercream.
Frost and add snow
Frost the cupcakes with the rest of the buttercream and press shredded coconut into the frosting.
Pipe the faces
Tint 1 cup of the reserved frosting black and ½ cup orange; spoon each into a piping bag. Pipe an orange carrot nose in the center of each cupcake, then two black eyes and five or six small dots for a smile.
Kitchen notes
- Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting.
Storage & make-ahead
Country Living recommends storing covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.