Cupcake Recipes & Ideas

This is one recipe worth the time and effort.

Spoiler alert: I think I’ve found my new favorite snack.

Individual cheesy perfection.

$3 for a whole batch of cupcakes? Sign us up.

Ultra chocolatey and decadently cream cheese-filled.

A pretty pink, perfectly sweet treat.

It's the perfect celebratory dessert for just about any occasion.

The key to perfectly flat frosting.

It changed my mind about cupcakes.

After spending an entire day baking, I finally found the absolute best vanilla cupcake recipe.

These are the only vanilla cupcakes I'll make from now on.

With a 5-star rating and glowing reviews, I couldn't wait to taste them.

I had never experienced such a moist cupcake before and was blown away by their texture.

There's a reason it's so famous.

The secret is in the coconut milk.

After spending an entire day baking, I finally found the absolute best chocolate cupcake recipe.

These cupcakes definitely lived up to my expectations.

They're by far the best chocolate cupcakes I've ever had.

Buttercream who? A silky chocolate ganache stars in these "grown-up" cupcakes.

These are nothing like her famous chocolate cake.

I had to see if they were worth the hype.

You don't even need a special pan.

The secret is in your pantry.

Carrot cake cupcakes are the tastiest way to incorporate a dose of veggies into a sweet treat — especially when there’s a swirl of cream cheese frosting piled on top. These cupcakes are as easy as can be, requiring just one bowl and a whisk to make the batter. Even the kids can help here! The cupcakes emerge from the oven fragrant with cinnamon and nutmeg, and the cream cheese frosting whips up fluffy and sweet to finish things up.

It isn’t often that a recipe, especially for a pairing of classic flavors like chocolate and strawberry, catches me off-guard and truly surprises me. This one for chocolate-strawberry cupcakes, however, has a unique ingredient that could be the key to the best frosting ever. The classic combo of strawberries and chocolate is undeniable and often makes appearances on the internet around Valentine’s Day (chocolate-covered strawberries, anyone?).

Nothing says celebration like cocktails and cupcakes, except when you combine the two. These French 75 cupcakes, based on the classic Champagne cocktail, are light and sweet with a distinctly boozy punch. Frosted with a Champagne buttercream and soaked in a lemon, gin, and sparkling wine syrup, these cupcakes are sweeter than a typical cocktail, but boast more booze than a typical boozy cupcake.

This is definitely the sweetest way to celebrate.

Funfetti is fun, but you know what is even more fun? One-bowl confetti cupcakes, one of the many recipes that show off the versatility of our one-bowl vanilla cake recipe. Need a quick cupcake for your school bake sale or a cute dessert to take to book club? These funfetti cupcakes fit the bill and don’t require any special ingredients, skills, or cleanup. Funfetti recipes are ubiquitous on the web these days, but it was first introduced as a cake mix craze in the 1980s from Pillsbury.

See how darling these key lime cupcakes are? A cheesecake-meets-key-lime-pie filling makes these no-bake cuties the perfect light and refreshing dessert for a beautiful spring brunch or porch party. The gingerbread cookie crust brings the zing to these tangy, tart, and creamy key lime pie minis. Topped with a lightly sweetened sour cream mixture and an optional candy lime wedge, these single-serve desserts are as delicious as they are Instagram-worthy.

Have you tried it?

Calling all chocolate-lovers!

Modeled after the classic German Black Forest layer cake, these chocolate cupcakes deliver a spongy cake stuffed with a sweet cherry filling, a light and fluffy whipped cream topping, and the requisite shower of shaved chocolate. If you were looking for a new take on chocolate cupcakes, this is it. Like layer cakes, these filled cupcakes are best made over the course of two days.

Chocolate cupcake cravings are a real problem for those of us without an office or classroom to share a whole dozen with. Ditto for those of us without a decent cupcake bakery nearby. Enter: the single-serve chocolate cupcake. It’s baked in a toaster oven with just a few pantry staples, and it’s here to solve all our problems with a rich and chocolatey answer — not to mention a perfectly tender crumb.

Because baking for one is a form of self-care.

Why can’t breakups be a little more fun? Didn’t you think everything he or she said and did was “so inspiring” just a few months ago anyway? With these fun-to-make Valentine’s Day breakup cupcakes, you have the option to end a relationship with that not-so-special someone in a creative way. They are a “see how cool I am, flip of the hair, blow a bubble, and walk out the door” kind of sweet kiss-off.

Beets are one of those divisive vegetables — either you love them or hate them. I happen to love them. I’m a sucker for that sweet flesh and gorgeous fuschia color, but I know plenty of people who play for the other team. Beet-haters, I ask that you suspend your disbelief for one moment. Try not to discount the chocolate-beet cupcake based on your feelings for the vegetable alone. Open your heart to beet cake because the final product is far better than the sum of its parts.

Trends come and trends go, but the ubiquity of the cupcake as core comfort food remains. Birthdays, breakups, barbecues on the lawn — a cupcake piled high with frosting is appropriate for just about any occasion. Ready to up your cupcake game? Today I’m showing you five different ways to frost your cupcakes in style. Because most of us don’t use them very often, I think piping bags can feel a bit intimidating.

There’s a secret I’ve been fostering for quite some time now. I love vegan cupcakes — even more than “regular” cupcakes. Their flavor is intense, pure, and did I mention there’s none of that creaming and beating nonsense? They’re literally as easy as 1, 2, 3! You’re sure to be a hit at your next party if you come toting these!

White bean and chorizo soup; pumpkin cupcakes with maple cinnamon frosting; and Nashville hot chicken in today’s Delicious Links.

When it comes to Halloween, I don’t joke around with my treats, and these cupcakes are no exception. It is a holiday that revolves around getting candy, after all! With a classic chocolate cake base and mounds of fluffy frosting, these cupcakes are super festive and easily customizable. Grab some friends, your favorite candy, and make a batch of these treats. These cupcakes start with an easy chocolate cake recipe and quick meringue frosting.

After the autumn equinox comes the rush of recipes with spices and autumn produce. If you’re looking for something quick and fall-inspired this weekend, try the cheater skillet pizza or the pasta with cauliflower and sausage. If you feel like baking, don’t miss out on the chai sweet potato cupcakes (oh boy) and apple fritters. And make delicious leftovers for the week with the help of this easy kale potato gratin.

These spiced cupcakes bring the flavor of masala chai to every bite, from the black tea-laced frosting to the fragrant sweet potato base.

Yep, you read that right, Tomato Soup Cupcakes. I’m going retro today with these old-school cupcakes. But the tomato soup isn’t a gimmick; it’s the secret ingredient for tender spiced cupcakes with a little air of mystery. I have to admit I had never even heard of these — that is until The Kitchn asked if I’d be up for the challenge of developing a recipe for this throwback treat. Of course I’m always up for a challenge.

While we have ample vegan and gluten-free coverage on The Kitchn, unless it’s naturally free of milk, eggs or gluten (say, a green salad) these recipes are not usually coming from my corner of the test kitchen. There’s one recipe, however, that I’ve worked on quite a bit; a vegan and gluten-free chocolate cupcake that I first had when someone brought a dozen to my house for a party. They were gooey and dark and had a sweet coconut icing on top.

Not so long ago, cupcakes were everywhere. Overpriced cupcake bakeries cropped up on every corner, with twirls of colored frosting and rainbows of sprinkles beckoning from shop windows and enticing cupcake-crazed customers to queue up for their daily fix. We called the demise of this trend all the way back in 2008, and indeed, cupcakes have fallen out of the spotlight. They seem downright quaint now, compared to the Cronut fad.

Among the surprises in my first year of being gluten-free has been my growing enjoyment of raw desserts. I love how simple they can be to assemble and often find them more texturally satisfying than gluten-less baked goods. These raw spiced pumpkin cupcakes are filled with autumn goodness and yet are free of many allergens like grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, and refined sugar. And did I mention they’re topped with coconut vanilla icing and ginger date caramel?!

It’s warming up outside, and while it’s not quite time to turn off the oven yet, icebox desserts are always welcome. Today I have such a simple little treat for you — one you can eat with a fork or straight out of the paper, if you don’t mind a smear of cream here and there: Three-bite lemon cupcakes, sprinkled with coconut and topped with bright berry. And all with no baking!Do you love icebox cakes? I do (I’m writing a book about them!

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the beautiful trifecta that is Boston Cream Pie. You get buttery cake (check!), soft vanilla pastry cream (check!), and a topping of thick chocolate ganache (check!). It’s a triple win. And cupcake form means you can cut out the middle man and eat it with your hands.These cupcakes are entirely, and perhaps gratuitously, luxurious.

When British intelligence agents hacked into the website of an Al-Qaeda magazine, they did more than just delete pro-terrorism articles. The MI6 team (the UK’s version of the CIA) replaced bomb making instructions with instructions of a sweeter nature: recipes for mojito and rocky road cupcakes.The recipe, which was once featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show, originated from an Ohio bakery. When the staff first heard the news they were shocked.

I adore birthdays. Not only my birthday but my sisters’ birthdays, parents’ birthdays, and my friends’ birthdays, too. Heck, I even like strangers’ birthdays! In the past I’ve been known to celebrate a little thing called Nealeygras, which is basically a week-long celebration of my birth. My boyfriend thinks this is incredibly narcissistic… I think it’s just a good excuse to party.

This is one reason why Elana Amsterdam’s books are so attractive: her ingredient lists are remarkably short. This strawberry cupcake recipe, for instance, only calls for eight relatively familiar ingredients. And yet it’s also outstandingly delicious!Elana Amsterdam of the popular blog Elana’s Pantry has gained quite a following for her gluten-free recipes.

We’ve given you an array of sweet treats for Valentine’s Day. There has been rich, creamy crème brûlée, inventive chocolates, and a whipped parfait of blood orange curd. Here’s one last treat: Airy, barely-there angel food cakelets that practically melt in your mouth, topped with a puff of meringue icing colored pink without a single drop of food dye. I had high hopes of bringing you a full-on all-natural red velvet cupcake for Valentine’s this year.

Are you a gingerbread lover? If you’ve had enough of ginger cakes and gingersnaps, try these icebox cupcakes, made with our favorite spicy gingerbread cookies and whipped cream, softened overnight in the fridge into triple-decker mini-cakes. Soft, spicy and single serving, they’re a twist on the usual cookie — and possibly the best way to eat three cookies at once!

This morning we gave you our review of the new book from the Baked boys: Baked Explorations, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Well, we couldn’t resist sharing a recipe too from this lovely, enticing book. And what better for fall than these moist, luscious maple cupcakes?Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese FrostingThough it may be a cliché in this country, Vermont is virtually synonymous with maple syrup.

As much as we love chocolate, there comes a time when we find our pantry to be without. So when a hankering for Boston Cream Pie comes around, you make do and twist a tried and true recipe upside down and thrown in a dash of sunshine to boot. Lemon Cream Pie Cupcakes are as tasty as they are easy to assemble and we’ll show you how — we promise you won’t even miss the chocolate!

It seems that we have been premature in predicting the death of the cupcake fad; they don’t seem to be supplanted by doughnuts or anything else. There’s something irresistible to bakers in those little bites of cake, and right now the latest cupcakes making the rounds are from Ming Makes Cupcakes. Ming is a designer and architect, and her simple, chatter-free website is striking and very appealing.And her recipes are so interesting.

When your birthday falls so close to the holidays, you need something extra special to celebrate. A friend of ours with just such a birthday requested these red velvet cupcakes from Garrett McCord, guest blogger on Simply Recipes, and we wholeheartedly complied!Red velvet cake is one of those classic American desserts with vague Southern origins – no one seems to know the exact birthplace.

School and work are back in session, and so cupcake season is fast upon us. We don’t bake a lot of cupcakes; we usually prefer the ease of one whole cake. But when it comes to school classrooms and workplace birthday parties, cupcakes are just so easy and fork-free. So we’ve been on the hunt for the ideal recipes for both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, and now, the search is over.