Santa’s Hat Cupcakes

Make everyone jolly with these mix-easy cupcakes dressed up with a clever marshmallow pompon.

Ingredients

• 1 (15.25 oz.) pkg. French vanilla cake mix
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup oil
• 1½ tsp. rum extract
• ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3 cups butter, at room temp.
• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. red concentrated food coloring
• 10 mini marshmallows, halved crosswise

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 20 muffin cups with liners. On low speed, beat cake mix, 1 cup water, eggs, oil, rum extract and nutmeg. On medium, beat 2 min. Divide among liners. Bake until pick inserted into centers comes out clean, 18–20 min. Let cool 10 min. Transfer from pans to rack; let cool.
2. On medium, beat half of butter until fluffy, 2 min. On low, gradually beat in half of sugar, then half of milk and vanilla. On medium-high, beat until fluffy, 2 min. Repeat with remaining butter, sugar, milk and vanilla. Transfer 5 cups to bowl; stir in food coloring. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium plain tip. Transfer remaining frosting to pastry bag fitted with 3⁄8″ star tip. Starting at edge of each cupcake, pipe red frosting in spiral for hats. Using white frosting, pipe stars along edges. Add marshmallows.