Bake red velvet cupcakes and decorate them as Santa hats using frosting, red food coloring, mini marshmallows, and safe oven supervision for a festive treat.



Step-by-step guide to bake Santa hat red velvet cupcakes
Step 1
Wash your hands with soap and water so your baking is clean and safe.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F 175°C so it’s ready for the cupcakes.
Step 3
Place cupcake liners into the muffin tin so each cup is lined.
Step 4
Measure and add the red velvet mix ingredients into the mixing bowl following the package or recipe.
Step 5
Stir the ingredients in the bowl until the batter is smooth and even.
Step 6
Spoon the batter into each liner until about two-thirds full.
Step 7
Give the muffin tin to an adult and ask them to bake the cupcakes and put them on the cooling rack when they are done.
Step 8
Wait until the cupcakes are completely cool before you start decorating.
Step 9
Scoop two spoonfuls of white frosting into a small bowl and set it aside for the hat brims.
Step 10
Put a few spoonfuls of the remaining white frosting into another small bowl to color red.
Step 11
Color the frosting by adding 2 to 4 drops of red food coloring and stirring until the color is even.
Step 12
Spoon the red frosting into the piping bag and snip a small corner to make a tip for piping.
Step 13
Pipe a cone-shaped red frosting swirl on top of each cooled cupcake to make the Santa hat.
Step 14
Finish each hat by piping a white frosting brim and topping the tip with one mini marshmallow.
Step 15
Share your finished Santa-hat red velvet cupcakes on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!


Help!?
What can we use if we don't have red food coloring or a piping bag?
Use 1–2 teaspoons of beet powder or 1 tablespoon beet juice to color the frosting and spoon the red frosting into a zip-top plastic bag with a tiny corner snipped instead of a piping bag.
Why did my frosting not hold a cone shape or fall flat, and how can I fix it?
If the red frosting is too thin to pipe a cone-shaped swirl, chill the frosting for 10–15 minutes and stir in a little powdered sugar until it thickens before spooning it into the piping bag and piping the hat.
How can I change the steps to suit different age groups?
Have younger kids do handwashing, place cupcake liners, and add mini marshmallows while older kids measure and mix the red velvet batter, color the frosting, snip the piping bag, and pipe the cone-shaped hats under adult supervision for baking steps.
How can we personalize or make the Santa-hat cupcakes more special?
Customize each hat by stirring red sanding sugar or edible glitter into the red frosting before piping, swapping the mini marshmallow for a small peppermint, or writing names with the reserved white frosting brims before sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to bake Santa hat red velvet cupcakes
Facts about baking and kitchen safety for kids
☁️ Mini marshmallows were popularized in the early 20th century and make the perfect fluffy pom-pom on Santa-hat cupcakes.
🔥 Most cupcakes bake at about 350°F (175°C) for 18–22 minutes — always have an adult supervise when using the oven.
🎂 Red velvet cake was popularized in the United States and gets its red color from cocoa reacting with acidic ingredients or a splash of red food coloring.
🎅 The red-and-white Santa hat look makes red velvet plus white frosting an easy way to turn cupcakes into tiny Santa hats.
🧁 The word “cupcake” first appeared in 19th-century recipes for cakes baked in small cups — perfect for single-serve treats!


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