Serendipity In The Kitchen
It's Chriiiistmaaaaas!
Well, nearly. While everyone is probably already sick of festive telly adverts and Mariah Carey, there's one way to fall back in love with Christmas - cupcakes.
We've thrown together a list of 12 holiday-themed cakes that will make your festive season much more merry.
The 12 Days Of Cupcakes
Peppermint Candy Cane Cupcakes(01 of12)
Thanks to this recipe, you can now have all the great mintiness of a candy cane in cake form. (credit:Serendipity Mommy)
Mulled Wine Cupcakes(02 of12)
Have mercy. This recipe is in Spanish so you'll have to pop over to Google Translate, but it's worth the trouble. (credit:Objetivo Cupcake)
Eggnog Cupcakes(03 of12)
These wonderful creations full of rum, eggnog and nutmeg will warm you right up. You have the Dollhouse Bake Shoppe to thank for this beautiful creations. (credit:dollhousebakeshoppe.com)
Boozy Sultana Cupcakes with Brandy Butter Frosting(04 of12)
Oof. Does it get more Christmassy than this? Another take on the Christmas pudding style, these naughty-and-nice cupcakes with brandy butter frosting are just what you need in the middle of winter. And that butterscotch drizzle? OMG. (credit:The Hits)
Santa Hat Cupcakes(05 of12)
With a bit of clever piping, you can turn any cupcake into a festive treat. Head over to Created By Diane to find out how. (credit:Created By Diane)
Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes(06 of12)
The success of Starbucks' winter Pumpkin Spice Latte has spawned many imitators, including these exceptional cakes. Everyone will love them, and they've got fruit in them so they're totally healthy. (credit:Serendipity In The Kitchen)
Reindeer Pretzel Cupcakes(07 of12)
With a bit of clever decoration, you can turn any cupcake into a reindeer! The kids will love these and the salty pretzel antlers will work wonders with a rich chocolate or caramel cake. (credit:With Sprinkles On Top)
Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes(08 of12)
Nom nom nom. Every Christmas dinner always has cranberry sauce, even if nobody really likes it. Either way, the combination of white chocolate and cranberries in these cakes will be irresistible. (credit:Beantown Baker)
Snowman cupcakes(09 of12)
Turn marshmallows, frosting and gumdrops into a great snowy treat! (credit:Confessions Of A Cookbook Queen)
Christmas Pudding Cupcakes(10 of12)
These old school cakes bring you your very own individual figgy pudding! Try them for yourself, courtesy of GoodToKnow. (credit:GoodToKnow)
Gingerbread Cupcakes(11 of12)
Spice things up a bit with these snowy gingerbread treats! Judy In Her Natural Habitat even takes you through how to make these cute little cases too. (credit:Judy In Her Natural Habitat)
Stuffin' Muffins(12 of12)
Savoury cupcakes are huge right now - try taking Brit + Co's totally vegan stuffing muffin recipe and piping a bit of mashed potato on top for a Christmas dinner themed cupcake that will wow your friends. (credit:Brit + Co)
SEE ALSO:
Best Christmas Supermarket Foods Revealed By Good Housekeeping
How To Transform Your Christmas Dinner Leftovers
You Can Now Send Your Friends Personalised Cocktails For Christmas
Retro Christmas Food
Tomato Aspic(01 of12)
Aspic: "A clear jelly typically made of stock and gelatin and used as a glaze or garnish or to make a mold of meat, fish, or vegetables."Or: "Please god no!" Aspic was very popular in the '50s and '60s, but its popularity thankfully waned. It gives us nightmares. Especially this olive- and cucumber-garnished tomato mold. (credit:McCall's Great American Recipe Card Collection via Dougsploitation.blogspot.co.uk )
Tuna Christmas Tree(02 of12)
Tuna fish molded into a cone and decorated like a Christmas tree. Wow. Is that the Elf on the Shelf in the background? We can't look long enough to decide. (He's everywhere!) From "Treasury of Holiday Ideas" (Better Home and Garden, 1968) (credit:Originally published in Better homes and Gardens® publications. http://www.bhg.com/recipes)
Christmas Candle Salad(03 of12)
I'm sorry, what? Yep, those are bananas, sticking straight up, wedged into molds of star-shaped canned cranberry juice cocktail. And then there's white "wax" dripping from the "candle" tips... Someone had a sick, sick mind. You're not supposed to eat this, right? Find the recipe on VintageRecipeCards.com. (credit:Tested Recipe Institute Inc. via VintageRecipeCards.com)
Santa's Whiskers(04 of12)
These may not taste so bad, but "Santa's Whiskers?" Really? That makes us want a cookie? Find the recipe on VintageRecipes.com. (credit:Originally published in Better homes and Gardens® publications. http://www.bhg.com/recipes)
Plum Pudding(05 of12)
Plum pudding is also known as Christmas pudding or just "pud." Fun fact: It has no plum in it at all. Plum pudding is actually made with raisins. Apparently it will keep for years if it has enough alcohol in it, but we're not sure we'd want it around that long. This "pud" just looks like a flaming pile of... Well, anyway. We're sure it tastes great.For a recipe that hopefully tastes better than this looks, see: Superb English Plum Pudding by James A. Beard from Epicurious December, 1963. (credit:Getty)
Three Cheese Ball(06 of12)
We love cheese as much as the next guy (Really, we do. We'd even name our children "cheese" and apparently so would a lot of people!) but... this could ruin cheese forever.This ball of cheese consists of cream cheese, Roquefort or blue cheese, and processed hickory-smoked flavor or sharp American cheese spread. Mmmmm. Serve it over greens for a healthy appetizer.Find the recipe on VintageRecipeCards.com. (credit:© MCMLXXXIV My Great Recipes. via VintageRecipeCards.com)
Christmas Roast Pork(07 of12)
Roast pork sounds good, but what are those things on the pork? Oh, never mind. It doesn't even matter.Find the recipe on VintageRecipeCards.com. (credit:McCall's Great American Recipe Card Collection via VintageRecipeCards.com)
Frozen Fruit Cake Salad(08 of12)
Crushed pineapple, bananas, candied cherries, sour cream and frozen whipped dessert topping? Please don't call this a salad. Find the recipe on VintageRecipes.com. (credit:Originally published in Better homes and Gardens® publications. http://www.bhg.com/recipes)
Shrimp Christmas Tree(09 of12)
This just looks like a ton of work. While it's quite impressive, the thought alone of a shrimp trees is enough to kill our appetites. “I don’t even know where to begin. The whole thing is atrocious, but in an amazing way," says Bon Appetit senior food editor Dawn Perry. Find the recipe on Bon Appetit. (credit:Bon Appetit)
Christmas Confections(10 of12)
Why did everyone feel the need to shape food into Christmas trees? One christmas tree -- the one sitting in your living room -- is enough! These "Christmas confections" are built with cheerios dyed with green food coloring, marshmallows and gumdrops. Hope Cissy and Bobby enjoyed them more than we would! Find the recipe on VintageRecipeCards.com. (credit:The Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library via VintageRecipeCards.com)
Glazed Potato Ring(11 of12)
Mashed potatoes make a great side on this holiday table, but we're not sure about mashed potatoes in "ring" form, especially as a container for slimy carrots. (credit:Bon Appetit)
Cocktail Weenie Tree(12 of12)
Happy holidays! (credit:From Merry Kitschmas via ApartmentTherapy)