baking
dessert
holiday
cupcakes
easy
kid-friendly
christmas

Each product has been independently selected by our editorial team. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Pastry chef Zac Young—owner (aka "Sprinkle Master") of the groundbreaking direct-to-consumer bakery PieCaken—shares one of his adorable desserts just in time for the holidays: gnome cupcakes. Made from a box cake mix, canned frosting and store-bought candies, they are easy to assemble and will delight people of all ages! 

Original Piecaken

piecaken

Original Piecaken

Goldbelly
$100

Note: To make the recipe, you'll need 24 white, blue or red cupcake liners and a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip. If you don't have a piping bag set up, you can use a small spoon to create the hair and swirl frosting down each cupcake for the beard. 

Pro Tip from Zac: You can flavor the frosting with a little lemon or orange extract, if you like.  

For more fun holiday desserts, check out Rach's 5-Minute Fudge Wreath and Stuffed Cake with 5 Flavors. 

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:
  • 1 box red velvet cake mix
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 6 candy canes, crushed into very small pieces
For the Frosting:
  • One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 tub vanilla frosting
  • One 1-pound box powdered sugar
To Finish:
  • ¼ cup red sanding sugar (gold is fun, too)
  • 24 sugar cone-style ice cream cones
  • 12 pink chewy fruit candies (such as Starburst), halved
  • 48 round chocolate candies (such as peanut M&M's, Milk Duds or Junior Mints)

Yield

Serves: Makes 24 cupcakes

Preparation

For the cupcakes, preheat the oven to the temperature on the cake mix box. Line two 12-cavity muffin tins with white or blue cupcake liners. (You can also bake the cupcakes in 2 batches.) 

Empty the cake mix into a large bowl. Add the cocoa powder and prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Add a scant ¼ cup of batter to each liner and sprinkle a teaspoon of crushed candy cane on top of each cupcake. Bake as directed and let cool.  

For the frosting, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and frosting using a hand mixer or whisk. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until thick and smooth.  

To make the hats, pour the sanding sugar on a small plate. Using a small knife or offset spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting on an ice cream cone and then roll it in the sanding sugar. Repeat with the remaining cones.  

To assemble the gnomes, fill a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip (see Note) with the remaining frosting. Pipe a small zigzag around the top of each cooled cupcake to make the hair.  

To make the beard, pipe a large zigzag tapering off each cupcake and down the side. Place the hats on top of the cupcakes.  

To make the nose, shape half a chewy fruit candy into a ball and place it at the top of the beard on a cupcake. Repeat with the remaining fruit candies. 

To make the feet, place two round chocolate candies at the bottom of a cupcake on each side of the beard. Repeat with the remaining chocolate candies.