13 Cupcake Recipes That Turn Any Ordinary Day Into a Party

There is something about a cupcake that makes people smile before they even take a bite. Maybe it is the swirl of frosting, maybe it is having a whole little cake just for you. These cupcake recipes cover every mood, from rich chocolate and tangy lemon to cozy carrot cake and gooey s’mores, and every slide has easy steps. If you love fall baking, you will also enjoy these pumpkin desserts that might beat pie..

Why Homemade Cupcake Recipes Beat the Bakery

Bakery cupcakes look pretty, but homemade ones taste fresher, cost less and fill your house with the best smell. Good cupcake recipes all follow the same simple rules: soft butter, room temperature eggs and no overmixing. Master the basic buttercream below and you can top every cupcake on this list. Quick question before we start: are you on team pink frosting, team chocolate frosting or team rainbow sprinkles?

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, pinch of salt, food coloring and sprinkles if you like.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter for 3 minutes until pale. 2. Add the powdered sugar a cup at a time. 3. Add milk, vanilla and salt and beat 2 more minutes. 4. Tint with food coloring. 5. Pipe onto fully cooled cupcakes and finish with sprinkles.

Classic Chocolate Cupcakes With Cherries

Every baker needs one perfect chocolate cupcake, and this is it. Hot coffee in the batter makes the chocolate taste deeper and keeps the crumb super moist. Top with whipped cream and a cherry for a Black Forest look. Quick poll: A: chocolate frosting, B: whipped cream, C: no frosting, just the cake.

You will need: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup hot coffee.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a 12 cup pan. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients. 3. Whisk in egg, milk, oil and vanilla. 4. Stir in the hot coffee, the batter will be thin. 5. Fill cups 2/3 full and bake 18 to 20 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipes Every Baker Needs

A soft vanilla cupcake is a blank canvas. Tint the frosting any color and add sprinkles for birthdays, baby showers or game day. Among all cupcake recipes, this is the one to learn first, because almost every other flavor starts here. What color frosting would you pick for your next party?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 cup milk.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. 3. Add eggs one at a time and the vanilla. 4. Add the dry ingredients and milk in turns, mixing just until smooth. 5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes and cool before frosting.

Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Red velvet is a little bit chocolate, a little bit vanilla and a lot of buttermilk tang. The deep red color makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day and Christmas. The real star is the cream cheese frosting, so be generous. Do you think red velvet is its own flavor or just chocolate cake in disguise?

You will need: 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon red food coloring, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Whisk flour, cocoa, soda and salt. 3. Whisk sugar, oil, egg, buttermilk, coloring, vinegar and vanilla. 4. Combine and fill liners. 5. Bake 18 minutes, cool and top with cream cheese frosting.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

There is a whole sandwich cookie hiding at the bottom of each cupcake, plus crushed cookies in the frosting. Kids go wild for these, and grown ups secretly do too. They are a fun twist for birthday parties. Do you twist your cookies open first or dunk them whole in milk?

You will need: 12 chocolate sandwich cookies plus 10 crushed, 1 batch vanilla cupcake batter. Frosting: 1 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons cream.

How to make it: 1. Place one whole cookie in each liner. 2. Pour vanilla batter on top. 3. Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes. 4. Beat butter, sugar and cream, then fold in crushed cookies. 5. Pipe on top and add a cookie half for decoration.

Bright Lemon Cupcakes

When you want something light and fresh, these lemon cupcakes are pure sunshine. Lemon zest goes into the batter and the frosting, so the flavor really shines. They are lovely for spring brunches, bridal showers or any day that needs cheering up. Would you add a spoon of lemon curd in the middle?

You will need: 1 batch vanilla cupcake batter, zest of 2 lemons, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, zest of 1 lemon.

How to make it: 1. Rub lemon zest into the sugar before mixing the batter. 2. Add lemon juice with the milk. 3. Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes. 4. Beat the frosting ingredients until fluffy. 5. Frost and top with sprinkles or a thin lemon slice.

Strawberry Cupcake Recipes for Pink Parties

Real strawberries give these cupcakes a natural pink color and a sweet berry flavor. Cooking the berries down into a thick puree is the secret that most strawberry cupcake recipes skip. The frosting comes out pastel pink without any food coloring. Who would you bake these for?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, 1 batch vanilla cupcake batter. Frosting: 1 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons reduced strawberry puree.

How to make it: 1. Blend the strawberries and simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup, then cool. 2. Stir 1/4 cup puree into the batter. 3. Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes. 4. Beat butter and sugar with the rest of the puree. 5. Pipe and top with a berry.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

All the cozy spice of carrot cake in a handheld size. Grated carrots keep them moist for days, and a fluffy cream cheese frosting with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts finishes them off. They are a great way to sneak in a veggie, though nobody will notice. Raisins in carrot cake: yes or absolutely not?

You will need: 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1 1/2 cups grated carrots, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients. 3. Whisk eggs and oil, then combine with the dry mix. 4. Fold in carrots and walnuts. 5. Bake 20 minutes, cool and top with cream cheese frosting.

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Coconut milk in the batter and toasted coconut on the frosting make these taste like a tropical vacation. They look elegant on a tiered stand for a party or a wedding shower. If you love coconut cream pie, these will be your new favorite. Have you ever toasted coconut flakes? It only takes five minutes and makes all the difference.

You will need: 1 batch vanilla cupcake batter with coconut milk in place of milk, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, 1 cup shredded coconut. Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons coconut milk.

How to make it: 1. Make the batter with coconut milk and extract. 2. Fold in 1/2 cup coconut. 3. Bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes. 4. Toast the rest of the coconut in a dry pan. 5. Frost and roll the tops in toasted coconut.

S’mores Cupcake Recipes for Campfire Lovers

These have a graham cracker crust on the bottom, a chocolate cupcake in the middle and a toasted marshmallow frosting on top. No campfire needed. Fun s’mores cupcake recipes like this one are perfect for summer parties and sleepovers. Which part of a s’more is your favorite: A: the cracker, B: the chocolate, C: the gooey marshmallow?

You will need: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 batch chocolate cupcake batter, 1 jar marshmallow creme, 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Press a spoon of buttered crumbs into each liner. 2. Add chocolate batter and bake at 350F for 18 minutes. 3. Beat butter, sugar and marshmallow creme. 4. Pipe tall swirls. 5. Toast the tops with a kitchen torch and add a graham cracker piece.

Pumpkin Spice Ghost Cupcakes

Soft pumpkin spice cupcakes turn spooky with a tall swirl of white frosting and two little chocolate chip eyes. They are adorable for Halloween parties and school treats, and the pumpkin keeps them extra tender. Kids can help add the eyes. How many ghosts do you think your family could eat?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs, white frosting, mini chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Whisk the dry ingredients. 3. Whisk pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs, then combine. 4. Bake 18 to 20 minutes and cool. 5. Pipe tall white swirls and add two chocolate chip eyes.

Banana Cupcakes With Brown Butter Frosting

Got overripe bananas on the counter? Turn them into cupcakes instead of bread. They come out soft and fragrant, and a nutty brown butter frosting makes them feel extra special. Even without frosting, they make a sweet breakfast treat. Do you like your bananas spotty and sweet or still a little green?

You will need: 2 ripe bananas mashed, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon baking soda, pinch of salt, 1 1/4 cups flour. Frosting: 1/2 cup browned butter cooled, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. 3. Stir in soda, salt and flour. 4. Bake 18 minutes and cool. 5. Beat the cooled brown butter with sugar and milk and frost.

Peanut Butter Cupcake Recipes for Chocolate Fans

Chocolate and peanut butter is a match made in heaven. A rich chocolate cupcake gets topped with a fluffy, salty sweet peanut butter frosting. It tastes like a peanut butter cup, only better. It is the perfect way to end this list of cupcake recipes. Which one are you baking first? Tell us below.

You will need: 1 batch chocolate cupcake batter. Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, pinch of salt, chopped peanut butter cups.

How to make it: 1. Bake the chocolate cupcakes and cool. 2. Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. 3. Add powdered sugar, milk and salt. 4. Beat until fluffy. 5. Pipe on top and add chopped peanut butter cups.