How many different ways are there to bake a cupcake? Just about an infinite number, as it turns out!
If you want a fun dessert that’s easy to portion and endlessly customizable, I’ve gathered 30 cupcake recipes perfect for any occasion.
From fruity flavors to over-the-top chocolate creations, there’s a cupcake for every craving.
1. Birthday Cake Cupcakes
Got a kid’s birthday coming up? Or are you just a kid at heart? These Funfetti cupcakes are incredibly colorful, and since they’re vanilla, everyone will enjoy devouring them.
Be sure to grab rainbow jimmies for this recipe since they better hold their shape and color. Remember to only add them right at the end to prevent the color from bleeding.
2. Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Tart lemons and juicy blueberries are always a great match. They look fabulous and taste amazing.
In order to stop the berries from sinking into the moist lemon cupcake, dust them with a little flour. Make sure you use fresh blueberries to prevent their juices from oozing out and staining the crumb blue.
3. Divine Tres Leches Cupcakes
As the title says, you’ll use three different types of milk to create these incredibly luscious and creamy cupcakes.
Poke holes all over the vanilla cupcakes once they’ve cooled down after baking, then saturate them with a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. They’ll be moist, sweet, and a total crowd-pleaser because of the milk, soaking right into the cake.
4. Red Velvet Cupcakes
Red velvet cupcakes will always stand out from the crowd, thanks to their bright red crumb and white frosting that provide a stunning contrast. With vanilla and cocoa hints, they’re also among the most delicate cupcakes ever.
Be sure to use gel food coloring to make these cupcakes as vibrant as possible.
5. Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes
The bright and sweet flavors of creamsicles blend creamy goodness and tangy orange notes. You’ll be instantly transported back to your childhood with just one bite of this delicious dessert. Try adding orange zest into the frosting to get the best results.
For an extra pop, swirl vanilla and orange frosting.
6. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin bread is exceptionally tender and deliciously spiced, as you probably know if you’ve ever created it. The frosting is usually the only thing lacking in the majority of recipes. That’s why I have such a love for these cupcakes.
Besides being covered in a delicious, lightly spiced cinnamon frosting, they’re very moist and packed with pumpkin spice goodness.
7. Margarita Cupcakes
Save this one for the adults! These margarita cupcakes will be zesty, sweet, and perfectly boozy. If you want to elevate the flavor even more, brush the baked cupcakes with syrup created with tequila, sugar, and Grand Marnier.
As a final touch, think about sprinkling some Tajin to make these beyond scrumptious.
8. Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe
Baked cheesecakes are the ultimate form, according to me. However, they’re known to be difficult to prepare, not to mention time-consuming.
Whole cheesecakes need to bake for an hour, cool for another hour, and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours to set correctly.
So, just forget about all that and prepare these tasty cheesecake cupcakes instead. They’re easily modifiable, freezer-friendly, and ready in two hours!
9. Twix Cupcakes Recipe
Few things can reach perfection as close as a Twix candy bar. They’re downright addictive with a flaky shortbread base, chewy caramel filling, and chocolate coating. As a cupcake, they’re every bit as delectable.
Thanks to the piece of candy baked right into the middle, the chocolate cupcake is infused with Twix flavor. After topping it with more caramel, prepare to want seconds.
10. Carrot Cake Cupcakes
You simply can’t beat carrot cake when made from scratch. It’s very moist and jam-packed with delightful additions, such as nuts and raisins.
And you’ll of course need to slather the top with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. You can also enhance the cake’s wonderful spicy flavor by toasting the nuts and adding orange zest.
11. Lemon Cupcakes
There’s nothing like a batch of yellow lemon cupcakes to bring brightness to your dessert spread. Given that there’s a lot of zest in the cupcake, you’ll want to mix it with sugar, so the crumb doesn’t turn out grainy. Fortunately, this helps release the oils, making them extra citrusy.
By adding a layer of lemon frosting, they’ll be wonderfully tart. And don’t forget the lemon curd filling!
12. Ultimate Nutella Cupcakes
Nutella is the ultimate combination of hazelnut and chocolate, which most of us agree is heavenly.
Now, imagine that flavor infused into a chocolate cupcake and transformed into a thick, rich frosting. But that’s not all! This cupcake recipe also incorporates a splash of hazelnut liqueur.
13. Ultimate Snickers Cupcakes
Is there a better way to make Snickers cupcakes than by topping them with chunks of candy? Those chopped candy bars will lend great texture and flavor.
It goes without saying, though, that the recipe gets its main inspiration from the creamy peanut butter frosting, caramel filling, and chocolate cupcake.
14. Death By Chocolate Cupcakes
Are you trying to figure out how to make a cupcake even more delicious than what you’ve seen so far?
You’ll be thrilled to know these are packed with layers of chocolate that extend far beyond the sponge. They get their unbelievable flavor from a blend of dark chocolate cake mix and chocolate fudge pudding. But the fun doesn’t end there, with chocolate chips in the cake as well as super rich chocolate sour cream frosting.
15. Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Browned Butter Buttercream
Gingerbread has that deep, dark flavor, plus just enough sweetness to satisfy. Featuring molasses, brown sugar, and lots of spices, these cupcakes are just that.
What makes them extra special is the brown butter and cinnamon frosting. Brown butter will add time, but the nutty taste is worth the extra effort.
You’ll want to give everyone the recipe when you taste them.
16. Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
A chocolate cupcake, in my book, should be so chocolatey that you don’t even need chocolate frosting. You can easily get away with vanilla, salted caramel, or coffee with this recipe and still have intense cocoa goodness.
The trick to all that flavor is unsweetened natural cocoa powder. (Though a dash of espresso powder certainly wouldn’t hurt, either.)
17. Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes
While some cupcakes may suit fall gatherings, these decadent ones will be perfect for your upcoming holiday party. These cupcakes are supremely rich and loaded with cocoa and peppermint flavors.
With a layer of silky ganache adding even more, the best part is definitely those crunchy candy canes sprinkled over the peppermint cream cheese frosting.
18. Banana Split Cupcakes
What’s not to love about banana splits? The frosty treat features sweet bananas, chocolate sauce, ice cream, and lots of whipped cream. Sadly, it melts before you know it.
Transform this iconic dessert into a cupcake and make it summer-proof!.
19. Easy Champagne Cupcakes
Need the perfect cupcake for New Year’s Eve? Search no more because I have just what you’re seeking.
Simply swap out the water for champagne (or any sparkling wine you like) when preparing boxed vanilla cake mix. These wouldn’t be complete without some edible gold stars to decorate with, or champagne in the frosting for that matter.
20. Peanut Butter Cupcakes
The light cupcake and sweet frosting offer the ideal touch of flavor.You might think a double hit of peanut butter would be sickeningly rich, but the flavor is perfect, I promise.Try adding a swirl of chocolate, or fill the cupcake with ganache to transform these into more faithful recreations of peanut butter cups.
You could even add strawberry jam to conjure an irresistible PB&J.
21. Ultimate Caramel Cupcakes
Although technically this is just a vanilla cupcake, it’s made with brown sugar. The result is a golden color and rich flavor.
Since you’ll be adding salted caramel generously, any vanilla cupcake recipe you want can work. I’d also recommend incorporating brown sugar in the frosting.
22. Coconut Cupcakes
It can be tough to get enough coconut flavor into a cake due to its delicate flavor. Thankfully, this recipe pulls it off, using shredded coconut and coconut milk in both the cake and the frosting.
To prevent too much sweetness, use unsweetened coconut. You should also toast it before putting it on top.
You can also add mango or pineapple for a tropical twist.
23. Easy Champagne Cupcakes
Are you seeking the perfect cupcake for New Year’s Eve? Then look no further! What you need are these champagne cupcakes.
When making boxed vanilla cake mix, it’s as easy as swapping out water with champagne (or any sparkling wine you want). You also add champagne to the frosting and round things out with edible gold stars to decorate.
24. Key Lime Cupcakes
If you’re on the hunt for a light, zesty treat, make sure these Key lime cupcakes are at the top of your list.These are wonderfully tart and brimming with lime flavor, like a Key lime pie.The lime is featured in both the cupcake and the frosting, so there’s no need to worry that these will be bland.
You can serve these dipped in crushed graham crackers for an extra touch.
25. S’mores Cupcakes
Bring the iconic flavor of summer inside with these intensely sweet s’mores cupcakes.
Everything starts with an easy graham cracker base, upon which you’ll bake chocolate cupcakes.Next comes the marshmallow frosting and an extra drizzle of chocolate sauce.For the smokiness, try torching the tops with a chef’s torch.
26. Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
These cinnamon cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting are perfect for any gathering. Snickerdoodle cookie enthusiasts will quickly swoop in to grab these, so be sure you make enough!
These are best when served with an extra dusting of cinnamon sugar and a cookie piece nestled into the frosting.
27. Baileys & Coffee Cupcakes
What could be better after a long day than creamy coffee with boozy Baileys Irish Cream?
The cupcake version is almost like tiramisu, except that you’ll use Baileys in both the cake and frosting. In place of syrup, you’ll also include coffee into the mix.
28. Ultimate Marble Cupcakes
Marble cake is perfect for those who struggle with choosing between chocolate and vanilla. Instead, the two flavors come together to make one delicious and enjoyable cupcake.
It gets even better with a chocolate and vanilla swirl of frosting on top.
29. Cookie Dough Cupcakes
These cupcakes not only have mini chocolate chips all throughout the crumb, but they’re also filled to the max with cookie dough filling.As you’d expect, the eggless cookie dough frosting tastes just how it should.To top it off, condensed milk is added for extra creaminess.
For a super nostalgic dessert, top it all off with cookie dough frosting.
30. Brown Butter Peach Cupcakes
Remember that brown butter frosting from earlier? You’ll agree that it’s worth the effort! Believe me when I say this one ingredient changes the flavor profile of the cupcake.
It’s nutty, slightly toasted, and has fantastic character that comes from the flecks of brown. Combined with sweet peaches, this recipe is way more elevated than your standard cupcake.