10+ Cupcake Recipes to Brighten Your Baking Day

Cupcake recipes let you whip up sweet treats for just about any occasion. They’re easy to make and honestly, decorating them is half the fun.

Whether you’re baking for yourself, family, or friends, there’s a recipe out there for every taste and skill level. Everyone gets to enjoy the process—and the cupcakes.

With so many flavors and styles, cupcakes really keep baking interesting. From classic vanilla to rich chocolate and everything in between, you’ll always find a new cupcake to try.

Your kitchen turns into a little creative zone, and the results are always delicious.

1) Classic Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

Classic vanilla cupcakes just never get old. They’re soft, tender, and have that perfect hint of sweetness.

Using oil instead of butter keeps them moist for days—seriously, it works. The vanilla flavor comes through in every bite.

The crumb is light but still sturdy enough for a nice swirl of frosting. These are perfect for birthdays or just because you feel like baking.

For a reliable recipe, check out this moist vanilla cupcake recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Whisk oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in another bowl.
4. Stir wet and dry ingredients together until smooth.
5. Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let them cool before you frost.

2) Rich Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

If you’re a chocolate fan, these cupcakes are for you. They come out moist and packed with deep chocolate flavor.

The cake is soft and tender, and the fudge frosting on top is just dreamy. Good-quality cocoa powder or melted chocolate makes all the difference.

Some people add chocolate ganache for an extra fudgy bite. You can toss on some chocolate sprinkles or pearls if you’re feeling fancy.

No mixer needed—just a bowl and a whisk. Bake them at 350°F (175°C) and they’ll stay moist and fluffy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Whisk sugars, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla in another bowl.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then slowly add hot water.
5. Pour batter into cupcake liners, about two-thirds full.
6. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool, then frost with chocolate ganache or fudge frosting.

For more details, see this Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes recipe.

3) Rainbow Layer Cupcakes

Rainbow layer cupcakes are just plain fun. You add food coloring to the batter to make different colored layers.

Once baked, you get a bright rainbow surprise inside. Top them with a cloud-like vanilla frosting for a sweet finish.

These are perfect for parties or whenever you want to bake something cheerful. You can make them from scratch or use a white cake mix if you’re in a hurry.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
• 2-3 tbsp milk (for frosting)

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Line your pans with cupcake liners.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
4. Beat butter and sugar until light.
5. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
6. Alternate adding dry mix and milk, starting and ending with dry.
7. Divide batter into six bowls, and tint each with a different color.
8. Layer the colors into cupcake liners.
9. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool completely.
11. For frosting, beat butter until creamy, add powdered sugar and vanilla, then milk to get the right consistency.
12. Frost and enjoy!

4) Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes are a playful twist on the classic. You start with chocolate or vanilla cupcakes and mix in crushed Oreos.

This gives you a soft cupcake with cookie bits in every bite. The frosting is a creamy buttercream with more crushed Oreos mixed in.

If you want, add a drizzle of chocolate ganache or top with mini Oreos for crunch. These are always a hit at parties.

You can easily find recipes that show how to fill and frost these for the best look. They’re soft, fluffy, and loaded with Oreo flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder (if making chocolate cupcakes)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• 10 Oreo cookies, crushed

For frosting:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 4-6 Oreos, crushed
• 2-3 tbsp heavy cream

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately. Fold in crushed Oreos.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3 full.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
7. For frosting, beat butter until creamy, then add powdered sugar. Mix in crushed Oreos and heavy cream until smooth.
8. Frost and top with extra Oreos.

5) Banana Nut Cupcakes

Banana nut cupcakes are the perfect way to use up those ripe bananas. They’re soft, moist, and have a lovely nutty crunch from walnuts or whatever nuts you like.

Cream cheese frosting adds extra creaminess if you want to go all out. Mash bananas with flour, sugar, eggs, and baking soda.

Chopped nuts give a nice balance to the moist cake. A bit of vanilla or yogurt makes them even richer.

Bake them at 350°F (175°C) for about 20-25 minutes. They’re easy, tasty, and great for snacks or parties.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix bananas, sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Stir dry ingredients into the banana mixture.
5. Fold in walnuts.
6. Pour batter into cupcake liners.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For more details, look up banana nut cupcake recipes.

6) Pistachio Almond Cupcakes

Pistachio almond cupcakes bring a nutty twist to your baking lineup. You get the rich flavors of pistachios and almonds in a soft, moist cake.

Real pistachio pieces in the batter add a bit of crunch and a ton of flavor. A pistachio cream cheese frosting or buttercream really takes them up a notch.

You can make these from scratch with ground almonds, pistachios, flour, and butter. Adjust the recipe if you want them extra nutty or a little sweeter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ground almonds
• ½ cup coarsely ground pistachios
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pistachio cream cheese or buttercream frosting

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Mix flour, ground almonds, pistachios, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet mix.
6. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, about ¾ full.
7. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let them cool before frosting.

7) Strawberry Swirl Cupcakes

Strawberry swirl cupcakes start with a light, moist vanilla base. Swirl in some strawberry sauce and you get a sweet, fruity surprise in every bite.

After baking, top them with a creamy, pink strawberry frosting. These cupcakes look so cheerful and taste even better.

Making the swirl is pretty simple. Drop a spoonful of strawberry sauce on top of the batter and use a toothpick to swirl before baking.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup strawberry puree or sauce

For the frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup strawberry puree

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

3. Beat butter and sugar until creamy.

4. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.

5. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the batter.

6. Stir in half of the strawberry puree.

7. Fill cupcake liners halfway with batter.

8. Drop the rest of the strawberry puree on top and swirl with a toothpick.

9. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

10. For frosting, beat butter until fluffy.

11. Gradually add powdered sugar, then strawberry puree.

12. Frost cooled cupcakes and dig in.

Give this strawberry swirl cupcake recipe a shot if you’re after something fresh and tasty. You can find more details at strawberry swirl cupcakes.

8) Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

These pumpkin spice cupcakes are soft, moist, and packed with cozy fall flavors. Every bite brings that classic pumpkin and spice combo.

Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves give them their signature warmth. I usually grab canned pumpkin puree—it makes the batter super easy to mix and keeps things nice and tender.

Try topping them with cream cheese or maple cream cheese frosting for a little extra something. You can swap in a boxed spice cake mix and just add pumpkin puree if you want to keep it simple.

Need a recipe with all the details? Check out pumpkin spice cupcakes with frosting here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

3. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

4. In another bowl, beat sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined.

5. Add pumpkin puree to the wet mix.

6. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

7. Pour batter into liners, filling them about ¾ full.

8. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

10. For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

11. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, then beat until fluffy.

12. Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes.

9) Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot cake cupcakes are moist, full of warm spices, and just sweet enough. Grated carrots add a natural sweetness and a soft bite.

If you like some crunch, toss in nuts or raisins. The cream cheese frosting is tangy and smooth, which balances the cupcake’s sweetness.

It comes together with just a few ingredients and spreads easily. These are perfect for any get-together, or honestly, just a random Tuesday.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

For the frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and both sugars.

3. In another bowl, beat eggs, oil, pineapple, and vanilla.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

5. Fold in grated carrots and walnuts if you want.

6. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

7. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

8. For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.

9. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until creamy.

10. Spread frosting on cupcakes and enjoy.

Want more info? Here’s the carrot cake cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting.

10) Cookie Dough Surprise Cupcakes

Cookie dough surprise cupcakes are always a hit, especially if you love a good hidden treat. You start with simple vanilla cupcakes loaded with chocolate chips.

Before baking, tuck a small scoop of edible cookie dough into the center. After baking, you top the cupcakes with a creamy cookie dough buttercream.

That rich, sweet flavor pairs perfectly with the soft cake. These are especially fun for anyone who can’t resist sneaking a bite of cookie dough.

You can try all sorts of twists—maybe fill them with extra cookie dough or add a drizzle of chocolate on top. They work for parties, birthdays, or just because.

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• Chocolate chips
• Edible cookie dough (homemade or store-bought)
• Buttercream frosting
• Chocolate chips for frosting

Cooking Instructions

1. Crank your oven up to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grab a bowl and beat together the eggs, water, and oil.

3. Toss in the cake mix. Mix until you don’t see any lumps.

4. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Scoop batter into cupcake liners, but only fill them halfway.

6. Drop a spoonful of edible cookie dough right into the center of each.

7. Cover that with a bit more batter.

8. Bake for 18-22 minutes. If a toothpick comes out clean, they’re done.

9. Let the cupcakes cool down all the way before you even think about frosting.

10. Slather on some cookie dough buttercream and toss a few chocolate chips on top.