When you want to bring a show-stopping dessert to a holiday party or create an edible centerpiece that makes everyone gasp with delight, a Cupcake Wreath is the perfect answer. This isn’t just a plate of cupcakes arranged in a circle. It’s a carefully constructed wreath made from beautifully frosted cupcakes decorated to look like evergreen branches, complete with red berries, white snow, and festive touches that make it look almost too pretty to eat. The genius of this dessert is that while it looks incredibly impressive and professional, it’s actually quite simple to make because you’re just decorating individual cupcakes and arranging them in a wreath shape. Each person can take their own cupcake, which means no slicing and serving like you would with a traditional cake. The cupcake wreath works beautifully as a centerpiece for your dessert table, as a contribution to a cookie exchange or potluck, or even as an edible decoration for your holiday buffet. Kids absolutely love helping to decorate these, and you can customize the colors and decorations to match any holiday or celebration throughout the year.
Serving Quantity: Makes 24 cupcakes (serves 24 people)
Cooking Time:
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Baking time: 20 minutes
- Cooling time: 30 minutes
- Decorating time: 45 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Nutrition Information (per cupcake):
- Calories: 285
- Total Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
- Sodium: 195mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 28g
- Protein: 3g
- Calcium: 4% of daily value
- Iron: 6% of daily value
Ingredients
- 24 cupcakes (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature for frosting
- 6 cups of powdered sugar
- Quarter cup of heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- Green gel food coloring (forest green and leaf green if possible)
- Red candy-coated chocolates or red M&Ms for berries
- White nonpareils or pearl sprinkles for snow
- Small candy canes for decoration (optional)
- Fresh cranberries for decoration (optional)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs for decoration (optional)
- Edible gold stars or silver dragées (optional)
- Red ribbon for the bow
- Large round platter or cake board (at least 16 inches)
Baking the Cupcakes
If you’re making cupcakes from scratch, use your favorite vanilla or chocolate cake recipe and bake them in standard cupcake liners according to the recipe directions. For a shortcut that still tastes homemade, use a boxed cake mix but follow the instructions on the back for cupcakes, which usually means baking at 350 degrees for about 18 to 22 minutes. The cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched. Don’t overbake them or they’ll be dry. Remove them from the muffin tin after 5 minutes and let them cool completely on a wire rack. This takes about 30 minutes. You absolutely must let them cool completely before frosting or the buttercream will melt right off.
Making Buttercream Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until it’s light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. The butter should look pale and have increased in volume. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition to avoid a sugar cloud in your kitchen. Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat on low speed first to combine, then increase to high speed and beat for 3 to 4 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and smooth as silk. If the frosting seems too thick, add another tablespoon of cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time. The consistency should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped but soft enough to spread easily.
Coloring the Frosting
Divide your buttercream into two or three bowls if you want different shades of green for a more realistic wreath effect. Add green gel food coloring to each bowl, using different amounts to create varying shades. Start with just a tiny amount of coloring and mix it in completely, then add more drop by drop until you reach your desired shade. Forest green, leaf green, and a lighter mint green create beautiful depth and dimension. Remember that colors often deepen slightly as the frosting sits, so err on the side of slightly lighter than you want. Mix each color thoroughly until there are no streaks and the color is completely uniform.
Preparing to Decorate
Fit a large piping bag with a large star tip, like a Wilton 1M or 2D. These tips create beautiful textured swirls that look like evergreen branches. If you don’t have piping bags and tips, you can use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off, though the result won’t be quite as textured. Fill your piping bag about two thirds full with your green buttercream. Don’t overfill or it will be hard to control and frosting will squeeze out the top. Twist the top of the bag to seal it and push the frosting down toward the tip. Have your cooled cupcakes ready on your work surface along with all your decorating supplies within easy reach.
Piping the Evergreen Texture
Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the cupcake with the tip about half an inch above the surface. Apply steady pressure and pipe in a circular motion from the outside edge toward the center, creating a swirled mound of frosting. Release pressure and pull up quickly to create a peak. The star tip creates ridges that look remarkably like evergreen needles. Repeat with all your cupcakes. If you made multiple shades of green, alternate between them randomly to create a more natural, varied look like a real wreath. The frosting should be thick and textured, standing up in peaks rather than lying flat.
Arranging the Wreath
Choose a large round platter, cake board, or even a large round cutting board as your base. You want something at least 16 inches in diameter to comfortably hold all the cupcakes in a circle. Arrange the frosted cupcakes in a circle on your base, placing them very close together so they touch and create an unbroken ring. Depending on the size of your cupcakes and base, you might arrange them in a single ring or create a double ring with an inner and outer circle. A standard arrangement is about 16 cupcakes in the outer ring and 8 in an inner ring. The center of your wreath should be empty, creating that classic wreath shape with a hollow center.
Adding Berry Decorations
Press red candy-coated chocolates or M&Ms into the frosting randomly around the wreath to represent holly berries or cranberries. Cluster them in groups of three or five for the most realistic look. Don’t distribute them too evenly or it will look artificial. Real berries grow in clusters, so group yours together. You can also use fresh cranberries if you’re serving the wreath the same day. Fresh cranberries look incredibly realistic but they’ll start to dry out if the wreath sits for more than a day.
Adding Snow Effect
Sprinkle white nonpareils or pearl sprinkles over the green frosting to create a dusted-with-snow effect. You can also use white sanding sugar or even shredded coconut for the snow. Apply it lightly and randomly rather than covering every surface. Real snow collects in some spots and not others, so mimic that natural pattern. If you want falling snow, hold the sprinkles high above the wreath and let them rain down gently. Some will stick to the frosting and others will fall onto the platter around the base, which looks lovely.
Adding Final Touches
Tuck small candy canes between some of the cupcakes for a festive peppermint touch. Add sprigs of fresh rosemary between cupcakes to look like evergreen branches. The rosemary is edible and adds a wonderful pine-like aroma. Place edible gold stars or silver dragées on top of some cupcakes for sparkle. If you’re feeling fancy, you can pipe small white frosting dots to look like snow using a separate piping bag with white frosting and a small round tip. Dust the entire wreath with edible glitter or luster dust for extra shimmer. The more details you add, the more impressive it looks.
Creating the Bow
The finishing touch is a big red bow. Use wide ribbon, about two to three inches wide. Create a classic bow with two loops and two tails. You can wire it to hold its shape. Place the bow at the bottom of the wreath, either tucked between two cupcakes or sitting on the platter in front of them. The bow makes it instantly recognizable as a wreath and adds that professional bakery look. You can also use a premade bow from the craft store if making one feels intimidating.
Transporting the Wreath
If you need to transport this creation, arrange the cupcakes in a large, shallow box or on a sturdy cake board with sides. Place the decorated wreath in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before transport. This firms up the frosting and makes everything more stable. Transport it on a flat surface in your car. If it’s a short trip and the weather is cool, it will be fine at room temperature. For longer trips or warm weather, bring a cooler with ice packs but don’t let the ice packs touch the cupcakes directly.
Serving the Wreath
The beauty of a cupcake wreath is how easy it is to serve. Just let guests take a cupcake from the wreath. Have small plates and napkins nearby. The wreath gradually gets smaller as people take cupcakes, but it still looks pretty even when half empty. If you’re serving it as a centerpiece, wait until after the main meal to let people start taking cupcakes so it stays beautiful throughout dinner. Take photos before anyone starts eating because it’s so pretty you’ll want to remember it.
Make-Ahead Tips
Bake the cupcakes up to 2 days ahead. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost the cupcakes the day before and store them covered in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature before arranging on the platter. Make the bow ahead and store it carefully. Assemble the full wreath the morning of your event or the night before if it’s going in the refrigerator. The decorated wreath holds up well for 24 hours if refrigerated. Add fresh rosemary and other fresh garnishes right before serving for the best look.
Flavor Variations
Make chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and use green M&Ms and red cinnamon candies for decoration. Create a peppermint wreath using peppermint-flavored frosting and crushed candy canes. Make eggnog cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for a holiday flavor. Use lemon cupcakes with white frosting for a winter wonderland wreath. Create a gingerbread wreath using spice cake cupcakes and brown buttercream piped to look like pinecones instead of evergreen branches. Make red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for an elegant version.
Non-Holiday Versions
This same technique works for other occasions. Make a spring wreath with pastel colors, flower-shaped decorations, and butterflies. Create a fall wreath with orange and brown frosting, candy corn, and chocolate leaves. Make a Halloween wreath with black and orange frosting and candy eyes. Design a birthday wreath with rainbow colors and candles. Create a baby shower wreath in pink or blue with baby-themed decorations. The possibilities are endless once you master the basic circular arrangement.
Tips for Success
Completely cooled cupcakes are essential. Even slightly warm cupcakes will melt your frosting. Room temperature butter makes the fluffiest frosting. Cold or melted butter doesn’t work as well. Gel food coloring is better than liquid for vibrant colors without thinning the frosting. A large star tip makes the best evergreen texture. Small tips won’t give you the same effect. Fill your piping bag only two thirds full for easier handling and better control. Practice piping on a plate before you start on actual cupcakes if you’re nervous. Arrange cupcakes very close together so no platter shows through the wreath. Different shades of green create more realistic dimension than using just one color. Add decorations while the frosting is still soft so they stick well. Don’t refrigerate the finished wreath unless absolutely necessary. Cold frosting loses its beautiful texture and can sweat when brought to room temperature. Take photos before serving because once people start taking cupcakes, the wreath is destroyed. Use sturdy cupcake liners that won’t peel away when people pick them up. Make extra cupcakes in case any don’t turn out perfect. You can always eat the rejects. Buttercream frosting can be made several days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature and rewhip it before using. If your frosting is too soft to hold its shape, refrigerate it for 15 minutes to firm up. If it’s too stiff to pipe, add a tablespoon of cream and beat again. The wreath looks more impressive the more cupcakes you use. Consider making 30 or even 36 for a really full, lush wreath. Store-bought cupcakes work perfectly fine if you’re short on time. Just scrape off their frosting and use your homemade buttercream. This project is perfect for getting kids involved in holiday baking and decorating.
