Christmas cupcakes advice needed

[BowiesBlueEye]

A couple of years ago I did cupcakes in a clear plastic cup, styled to look like an ice cream sundae for Xmas gifts for the class.

They looked pretty great but were incredibly sickly due to the amount of buttercream I had to use. I would like to do it again this year but looking for an alternative to the buttercream.

If I make them fresh the night before could I get away with using Elmlea whipped up or the spray cream? I'm worried the spray cream will melt and the whipped cream getting warm.

Silly dilemma, I know. I'd just like to do something that doesn't mean they get thrown away!

Could you not just use less buttercream - use a piping nozzle that is small and pipe a thin ring just around the outside of the cake disc? Just enough to show through.

I wouldn't use spray cream because it tastes gross.

FWIW my DS's would eat a whole cup of buttercream given the chance. They'd love these!

Ha ha! My DC only ate the buttercream

Thanks for the advice. Thin layers it is.

What about using flat bottomed ice cream cones, baking the cakes in them then buttercream swirled on top as the ice cream? They work well and better cake to cream ratio

I've done the ice cream cones before. Had totally forgotten about them.

I will try out a Xmas theme one and see if it works

Can you post a photo when you've done them. I will need Christmas themed cakes for the school fayre, the carol service and a community cafe in the next few weeks. The more ideas the better!

If you use regular cones and put them upside down on a regular cupcake you can decorate them as Christmas trees or Santa hats.

And that is why I posted on mn

Oh my word! Look at these!

Would help if I posted the actual photo

Couldn't you just do a festive-themed normal cupcake, not in a plastic cup, or am I missing something?

My kids don't eat the other less sweet buttercreams (like Swiss or the flour-based ones), so just stick to the American one! I think they'd like whipped cream even less...

You could make a cream cheese icing or maybe use mars alone cheese? I think cream cheese would be better nutritionally than butter despite the oodles of icing sugar. You'd need to leave them in your fridge until the last minute though.

Zebra wanted to do something a bit different as the sell well plus I enjoy doing them with the DC

Snoz I personally love cream cheese but no way to keep refrigerated until needed

7 minute frosting? It's more like marshmallow fluff. Bit of a faff, though.

What about Angel delight or similar? Maybe make a test one with a cheap cupcake and see how it goes.