We all love cake, so it stands to reason that we also all love cupcakes, right? Cupcakes are the small and easy way to enjoy a quick hit of that spongy sweet goodness, all within a small cup shape (hence the name!)
There are so many different ways to make cupcakes, from mug-based cupcakes to entire cakes made just from stacks of little cupcakes. They’re a versatile little treat that people are still finding ways to innovate on, with exciting recipes and funny designs.
Are you itching to spend the day baking, and to make some delicious baked treats for you and the whole family? Well, then you’ve definitely come to the right place!
Read on below to discover 35 of the best cupcake recipes that you can try out today, to create exciting and innovative twists on classic recipes or entirely new ways to make cupcakes that you’ve never seen before!
1. Little Fishy Cupcakes
These little aquatic cuties are bursting with character, thanks to the creative use of some very simple baking elements.
Plenty of food coloring is mixed in with the icing, to create colorful fish bodies, while M&Ms help to add a quick layer of detail that makes these fishy cupcakes really pop!
2. Beach Themed Cupcakes
Prepare to be whisked away to an exotic beachside resort, thanks to these delightful beach-themed cupcakes, straight from ‘Life Family And Fun’.
With cute little starfish and shell-shaped decorations, and creatively used cookie crumbs, the beach illusion is really sold here. Look at how effectively the crumbled cookies create the illusion of a sandy beach!
3. Corn-On-The-Cobcakes
We’ve seriously never seen cupcakes like this before. Grab a bag of yellow jelly beans, because you’re gonna need them!
These amazing corn on the cob cupcakes look amazing displayed side-by-side, looking exactly like fresh corn on the cob, but they also taste amazing to boot! The sweet taste of the jelly beans adds a slightly fruity kick that melds so well with the soft sponge.
4. Popcorn Cupcakes
From sweetcorn to popcorn! You won’t be able to resist the pure cuteness of these amazing cupcakes!
Complete with popcorn bucket designs, wrapped around the base, these cupcakes look like they’ve come straight from an old-fashioned movie theater, and you can just taste the buttery goodness of the popcorn just by looking at them!
5. Sorting Hat Cupcakes
Got a Harry Potter superfan in your life? Want to help them celebrate their birthday?
Why not try making these gorgeous sorting hat cupcakes, which even feature decadent colored icing that can tell you which of the four Hogwarts houses you have joined!
We also can’t get over the simple ‘hat’ design, made with an oreo and a Hershey’s kiss. Simple, but very effective.
6. Margarita Cupcakes
Hosting a get-together with some of your friends? Want something a little more exciting from your cupcakes? Try these Margarita cupcakes, complete with fresh slices of lime to give it that extra citrus kick.
7. Groundhog Day Cupcakes
Every one of these cupcakes you eat will taste just like the first! And trust us, you’ll definitely be going back for seconds (and even thirds), they are just simply that good and that tasty.
The cute little groundhogs that poke out of the top of each cupcake fill them with character.
8. Carrot Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese
When Easter time comes around, you’ll instantly be craving the heart-warming taste of carrot cake! These delicious little cupcakes also feature honey cream cheese, which is both rich, and intensely satisfying to eat!
9. Caramel Apple Butter Cupcakes
Caramel and apple go so well together that it almost seems like they were made for each other… And with a flavor combination as good as that, why wouldn’t you want to fill your cupcakes with the taste?
The frosting is made from cream cheese, which helps to intensify those rich and warming apple and caramel flavors.
10. Mini Doughnut Cupcakes
Get the amazing taste of a doughnut, all within a cupcake-shaped package! These cupcakes are seriously addictive, thanks to the soft, pillowy, and heaven-sent dough that goes into them, making them amazing with every single bite.
11. Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Juicy flavors, both mild and slightly sour, ooze from these cupcakes with every single bite. The blueberry solution, found in the cake itself, lends the cakes a slight moistness that makes them even tastier, while the lemon flavoring helps to give them a zesty finishing note.
12. Disney Frozen Cupcakes
Perfect for that little princess in your life are these Frozen-inspired cupcakes, that almost look like they’ve been baked by Elsa herself, and infused with her icy powers! The light blue icing and white pearls give these cakes a shiny and elegant look.
13. Halloween Spider Cupcakes
Don’t worry, there aren’t any actual creepy crawlies involved in these adorable and funny little cupcakes! The spiders themselves are actually rather cute, and feature wacky edible googly eyes, to help make them a little more appetizing!
14. Apple Cupcakes
Wow! These cupcakes look like they’ve just been freshly plucked from the tree in a mysterious fairytale forest! The bright red icing, cases, and crystalline sugar help to sell the illusion of fresh and juicy apples.
15. Lavender Cupcakes
The amazing taste of lavender makes it quite a surprise that it’s taken until now for people to start using it in combination with cupcakes! The lavender lends these cakes a soft, elegant, and flowery taste that’s perfectly subtle, but still packed with flavor.
16. Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes
The tiny (and edible) flowers lightly placed atop these cupcakes give them an effortless look of elegance, that makes it easy to imagine them being served to the Queen, or to a fantasy princess. The light taste of the cake and the icing also help with this.
17. Candy Cupcakes
The bright and colorful personalities that decorate these cupcakes certainly justify the ‘Candy’ name. With lots of funny and wacky faces made from candy, this recipe is perfect for getting your kids involved in the kitchen, so that they can create their own awesome cupcake creatures.
18. Minion Cupcakes
Even more fun for the kids is these cute and mischievous little Minion-inspired cupcakes from Betty Crocker. The bright yellow frosting, and the blue cupcake cases help to sell the minion look. You could almost imagine the taste of banana as you bite in!
19. Bubble Gum Frosting Cupcakes with Gelatin Bubbles
We’ve never seen cupcakes like this before. The gelatin bubbles on top of each cupcake almost make them look like they’re ready to float off into space at any moment, while the rainbow star confetti surrounding them helps to further sell that intergalactic look.
The pink color scheme of these cupcakes also helps to make them appear wistful and light, perfect for taking flight!
20. Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes
There’s nothing better than a simple chocolate cupcake. Packed with plenty of cocoa goodness, and practically oozing with decadence, you simply must try out this super moist chocolate cupcake recipe. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to chocolate heaven.
21. Vanilla Cupcakes
Once again, sometimes the classics are the best for a reason. These vanilla cupcakes are simple but oh so tasty. They’ll bring up nostalgic memories of childhood, and the soft vanilla flavor is reminiscent of a yummy scoop of vanilla ice cream, atop a crunchy and crumbly cone.
22. Polar Bear Paw Cupcakes
These cupcakes look like they’ve been spotted in the antarctic! The simple paw shape is made by combining oreo cookies, and small chocolate drops or chocolate-covered raisins, which rest atop decadent white icing which is covered in small flakes of coconut.
These are a perfect winter treat, and would make for a great indoor activity when it’s snowing outside!
23. Party Pinata Cupcakes
Every single one of these cupcakes is just waiting to burst. Deep within the soft and cloud-like sponge of these cupcakes are thousands and thousands of various sprinkles and confections that will pour out upon taking a bite.
Like mini bite-sized pinatas, these cupcakes will make a great surprise for any birthday celebration!
24. Easy Bunny Cupcakes
Little pink ears pop out from the tops of these tiny and adorable cupcakes. The smooth white icing is perfectly layered onto each cake, to give them a smooth appearance that’s perfect for making them look really cute.
The ears themselves are made up of marshmallows dipped into pink sugar crystals, to give them that characterful look.
25. Baby Yoda Cupcakes
Everyone’s favorite new Star Wars character has now been rendered in cupcake form! (because why not?) The green icing is actually matcha flavored, which gives the cakes a nice and mature flavor that is sure to have you feeling as wise as the original sagely Yoda.
Small raisins make up the eyes, while fondant ears help to create those iconic large pointed ears that we can all recognize a mile off!
26. Watermelon Cupcakes
Now you can get that watermelon sugar high within the form of a delightful cupcake! How cool is that?
The use of chocolate chips, combined with pink frosting is such a cute and clever way to create that watermelon look, while the green cake itself looks extremely interesting, as we can’t say we’ve ever seen a ‘fluorescent green’ cupcake before!
But it really does work, and tastes oh so delicious!
27. Black Sesame Cupcakes
With an intense black hue, these cupcakes are top of the class when it comes to elegant decadence in cupcake form. Made from plenty of black sesames, the all-natural black color helps to give these cupcakes a look of intensity, which contrasts with the bright orange frosting atop each one.
These would be perfect to serve at a Halloween party, thanks to the iconic color combination, and its interesting source of flavors. Don’t be put off, they taste just as good as they look!
28. Nutella Cupcakes
Nutella and cupcakes. This is just a match made in heaven. Nutella is everyone’s favorite sweet treat, which tastes incredible no matter what it’s slathered upon! These cupcakes make full use of the rich and hazelnutty flavor of Nutella.
The cakes themselves feature a deep black color, thanks to the intense chocolate content, while the frosting boasts a light brown color that gets your mouth watering with just a look.
29. Cherry Coke Cupcakes
It’s always somewhat of a surprise to hear how versatile coke can be. You can lather it across a cut of meat to create a tasty caramelized flavor, or even use it in a slow cooker to create an interesting stew. Perhaps the most interesting use we’ve seen for it, however, is these cupcakes.
With red and white paper straws dipped into them, these tasty cupcakes will no doubt make you thirsty for a bottle of coke, so make sure to have some handy!
30. Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Cookie dough cupcakes are amazing enough already, so how could you possibly ever make them any better? Peanut butter! That’s how!
Underneath a hearty layer of cookie dough frosting, itself complete with chocolate chips, is a deep layer of peanut butter, which pours out of the center of the cakes as soon as you take a bite.
The combination of cookie dough and peanut butter flavors is certainly an interesting one, but also a deeply satisfying one that we never would have otherwise expected to work so damn well!
31. Flowerpot Cupcakes
These flowerpots are so colorful that they truly look good enough to eat… Oh wait, they are! Follow this recipe to create your own garden of fresh fruity flowers, poking out of soft chocolate cake.
These cakes look just as good as they taste, and would make for the most interesting party favors you could imagine. Everyone will be grinning from ear to ear as soon as they see them, lightening up any room!
32. Easy Champagne Cupcakes
Celebrate any event in style with these champagne cupcakes. Each cupcake has a light hit of champagne flavor, which makes them rich and tasty to eat through, and also very addictive.
Serve these up with some freshly-poured glasses of champagne, and watch as the good times roll, and your party really begins to kick off! The cupcakes boast a light golden look, which is very reminiscent of a perfect glass of the good stuff!
33. Milk and Cookies Cupcakes
These cupcakes will take you right back to your childhood! Who doesn’t love the classic combination of milk and cookies?
This awesome cupcake recipe knows of the immense wonders of this combination, but luckily, you won’t have to do any dipping, as the delicious cookies have already been dunked into the milk-white frosting atop each cake.
Again, wonderful paper straws help to sell the illusion of an actual drink, only in solid form!
34. Cookie Monster Cupcakes
You can take your love for cookies even further with these hilarious cookie monster cupcakes. The blue frosting creates the wild and crazy fur of the cookie monster, while the small carved-out sections within each cupcake house a tasty cookie, which effectively doubles your treats per cupcake!
Making this easily one of the best cupcakes on this list. We still can’t get over how amazing they turned out when we made them for ourselves.
35. Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes
Combining other tasty pastry treats with cupcakes seems to be the future of sweets. These cinnamon roll cupcakes from ‘Food Folks and Fun’ effectively combine the wonder of a simple cinnamon roll with the simplicity of a good cupcake.
It turns out that this combination was just waiting to happen. They combine together so effortlessly that it’s pure madness that it’s taken this long to put the two together in a perfect marriage of flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes cupcakes light and fluffy?
The elements of a good cupcake that are most responsible for making it nice and fluffy are gluten and fat. These elements help to keep a cake moist, which helps to make a cupcake nice and fluffy once it has finished baking.
You’ll know that you have the perfect ratios of all of your ingredients, as the cupcakes will fall apart effortlessly in your mouth, but hold their structure outside.
What is the most famous cupcake?
This can be difficult to pin down, as there is little documentation or research into exactly which type of cupcake is the most popular in the world.
However, some of the most iconic flavors would definitely be chocolate or vanilla. Chocolate cupcakes can come in any form including chocolate chips, while vanilla makes for a perfect base flavor for any cupcake.
Why do my cupcakes sink?
Unfortunately, sometimes when you make cupcakes, they don’t always go to plan. If your cupcakes have sunk slightly in the center, this is probably due to cold air reaching the cupcakes before they are ready.
Make sure to keep an eye on your cupcakes through the oven door without opening it, to make sure that the tops are rising. This helps you to avoid accidentally making the tops sink.
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