29 Easy Cupcake Recipes

Cupcakes are undeniably delicious and a colorful way to enjoy an individual portion of cake. The concept of a cupcake is fairly straightforward. A small cake, often with a sponge base and topped with frosting.

There are even mini cupcake recipes if you want even smaller cakes. Either way, it’s sumptuously simple.

Do you already have a recipe for cupcakes somewhere at home? Most of us have at least one, and usually a very basic one. However, cupcakes aren’t made to be boring.

So if you want to get ideas on how to make them even more appetizing and amazing, you’ve come to the right place.

Whether it’s with creamy frostings, molten fillings, or spiced sponges, these cupcake recipes will get your mouths watering and your creative juices flowing. Let the fun begin!

1- Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes are one of the most recognized and popular flavors. Everyone should have a vanilla cupcake recipe to hand. So it may as well be a perfect one!

The use of buttermilk and softened butter in the standard sponge batter mix makes this cupcake beautifully moist and mouthwatering. Pure vanilla extract is also essential to get that desired flavor.

Pop a bit of frosting on top and you’ll have reached vanilla cupcake perfection! Serve them at parties and wait for the culinary compliments to roll in.

2- Super Moist Chocolate Cupcake

What’s better than a chocolate cupcake? A super moist chocolate cupcake, naturally! Whether or not you choose to add a chocolate buttercream topping, you will be in chocolate heaven.

You’ll need to use oil and buttermilk in the batter mix for the promised moistness along with unsweetened cocoa powder for that chocolatey goodness.

Once the bases are baked and cooled you can add the frosting.

It could be frosting of the chocolate, vanilla, or salted caramel variety. All options will make the best chocolate cupcake even better!

3- Red Velvet Cupcakes

If you want your homemade cupcakes with a bright pop of color and a scrummy cream cheese frosting, then these red velvet cupcakes are ideal. They have a balanced blend of chocolate and vanilla flavors and a buttery base.

You’ll need cocoa powder and pure vanilla extract to perfect the flavor.

For the buttery moistness add buttermilk, oil, and creamed butter to the cupcake mix. Don’t forget the signature color either! Gel red food coloring will do the trick.

Top all this deliciousness with a simple, tangy cream cheese frosting and prepare to be seriously satisfied.

4- Lemon Cupcakes

Do you crave a cupcake with a bit of zing and zest? Then put a little lemon in your cupcake mix! This cupcake recipe brings the luscious lemon to both the fluffy cake and the buttercream topping.

Unsurprisingly you’ll need lemons, as their juice and zest will be used in both cake and frosting. Be sure to use adequate amounts of sugar too, to offset that zing.

Sour cream added to the cake batter will bring a moreish moistness, although whole milk can be used instead.

While already delicious, you can make this cupcake even more mouthwatering by adding a lemon curd center. Truly a lemon-lovers paradise!

5- Carrot Cake Cupcakes

You can’t go wrong with a yummy carrot cake, and now carrot cake can be enjoyed as one of many delicious cupcake recipes. With its fluffy, seasoned cake and indulgent cream cheese frosting, it’s certain to become a new favorite.

Grated carrot has to be the star ingredient of this cake batter and seasonings like nutmeg and cinnamon also add depth to the flavor.

You can even include extras like toasted nuts or raisins in the mix too. A cream cheese frosting is a perfect addition to the soft and tasty sponge.

This carrot cake cupcake recipe is so simple you won’t be able to stop yourself from baking another batch.

6- Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Some of the best cupcake recipes get their inspiration from the fabulous flavors provided by fruit and vegetables. This recipe for fresh strawberry cupcakes is no different.

Strawberry is the star flavor and features in both the moist cake and buttercream frosting.

You will be needing fresh strawberries as they are chopped and added to a standard cake mixture flavored with vanilla extract.

The strawberries are also pureed, with the reduction added to butter and sugar to create a tart and tasty strawberry buttercream.

Garnished with a slice of strawberry, these gorgeous cupcakes will be ideal as a dessert snack for a summer’s day.

7- Pumpkin Cupcakes

For a cupcake featuring some fantastic fall flavors, look no further than this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes. They are simple to make and feature a spiced sponge with a cream cheese frosting.

For those desired fall flavors, you’ll need to add a bit of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to the cake batter. Use brown sugar for its sweetness and a bit of oil for moistness as well.

As for the frosting, while a standard cream cheese option will be perfectly yummy, a brown butter, cinnamon, or pumpkin spice variety will add a little extra awesomeness.

With these delicious cupcakes waiting for you, you’ll never be so glad to see the end of summer!

8- Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Fluffy, moist cupcakes that are full of chocolate chips? Yes, please! These sweet chocolate cupcakes can be made extra chocolatey with the addition of chocolate buttercream frosting too, although vanilla frosting will complement them just as well.

In addition to mini chocolate chips, vanilla extract is added to the cake mix for flavor.

Cake flour is recommended so the cupcakes are suitably soft while a usual mix of egg, milk, butter, and oil will result in their required moistness.

After a bit of mixing and baking, all that’s left to decide is the flavor of the cream cheese frosting.

Or bake two batches and use both. Now, there’s an inspired idea!

9- Banana Split Cupcakes 

How can you make a banana cupcake more fun? Add a bit of creamy vanilla frosting and chocolate ganache and make them into banana split cupcakes. Inspired!

Some mashed banana added to the cake mix is going to give these cupcakes their signature flavor.

To make the frosting extra smooth, add cream or milk to butter and sugar, and as for the ganache, simply melt semi-sweet chocolate chips into whipping cream. Perfect!

Once you’ve spooned the ganache atop the frosting, all that’s left is to decorate your creation with a few sprinkles or maybe even a maraschino cherry.

These cupcakes will look as amazing as they taste.

10- Blueberry Cupcakes

These blueberry cupcakes are a fresh, tangy, and delicious delight. Not only will the star ingredient of this recipe work its way into the cake mix, but also the cream cheese frosting.

You’re going to need some blueberries and some blueberry jam. The blueberries will be folded into a standard vanilla cake mix.

Meanwhile, the blueberry jam will be added without mixing to a cream cheese frosting to create a blueberry swirl once it’s piped atop the cupcakes.

Say goodbye to the boring muffin, there is a new blueberry dessert option in town!

11- Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe 

Cheesecake as a cupcake? What a creamy, dreamy idea! These easy cheesecake cupcakes are an example of some of the more unique cupcake recipes out there. They’re ideal to share out at parties and only require simple ingredients.

Mini cheesecakes are created very much like a standard one, with a cracker crumb base and a cream cheese filling. The only difference is you fill little muffin cups instead of a cake tin.

Once baked, add a topping of whipped cream or fruit, and these individual cheesecakes are good to go.

You can even customize the recipe by adding extras like crushed Oreos or chopped strawberries to the batter.

These cupcakes are so delicious you’re just going to have to try every variation.

12- Pineapple Cupcakes

For a more tropical cupcake experience, these pineapple cupcakes are both refreshing and indulgent.

You’ll be able to enjoy the perfect pineapple flavor in both the cake and the frosting.

Pineapple is the key ingredient, and can be fresh or from a can. Simply add crushed pineapple to the cake mix of flour, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract.

You can also add pineapple to the buttercream mix, although other buttercream flavors like vanilla will go beautifully with the pineapple cupcakes too.

These fun and fruity cupcakes are appetizingly addictive. You’ll constantly be reaching for another.

13- Coconut Cupcakes

Cupcakes and shredded coconut? What a perfect pairing! This moist and fluffy coconut sponge is also complemented wonderfully with the addition of a simple cream cheese frosting.

Coconut is the star ingredient and the sweetened, shredded variety will be required for this recipe. After vanilla and almond extracts are added to the cake mix, simply fold in the shredded coconut.

Once baked, top the cakes with a cream cheese frosting, and finish with a generous sprinkle of coconut shavings.

Go crazy for coconut and give these moreish cupcakes a try. You won’t regret it!

14- Key Lime Cupcakes

You’ve heard of key lime pie but key lime cupcakes? Yes! It’s another zesty, zingy cupcake recipe but this time lime is the star. Sweet and simple, these cupcakes are a perfect summer treat.

Key limes are an absolute must-have ingredient for this recipe. Both their zest and juice will be added to the cake batter and the cream cheese frosting.

If you are looking to add a bit of color as well as taste to the frosting you can also add green and yellow food coloring to make your cupcakes really stand out.

Sweet, tart and totally irresistible, these cupcakes are a citrus success story. Enjoy!

15- Hummingbird Cupcakes

These gorgeous hummingbird cupcakes hold all the same yummy banana, pineapple, and walnut flavors of the original cake. A topping of cream cheese frosting doesn’t do any harm either.

In addition to crushed pineapple and mashed banana, the cake mix is also flavored by additions of vanilla, chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, and shredded coconut.

This wonderful combination of flavors is satisfying enough but a tangy cream cheese frosting finishes off the recipe nicely.

These heavenly hummingbird cupcakes are a tasty treat everyone will love.

16- Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

If you need to stick to a vegan diet, it may sometimes feel that you’re left out of the cupcake party. Not any more! This cupcake recipe creates a fantastic vanilla cupcake that any vegan would love.

Substitutions need to be made for ingredients in the cake mix. For example, soy milk should be used, although other non-dairy options will work too.

As for the sumptuous strawberry vanilla frosting, vegan butter will be needed along with the strawberry and vanilla extracts.

With a few simple adjustments, and a garnish of fresh strawberries, you’re vegan vanilla cupcakes will be ready to enjoy.

17- Coffee Cupcakes

Are you a coffee lover? If so, this is the best cupcake recipe to satisfy your coffee cravings. With a soft and fluffy coffee cake and mocha buttercream, it’s love at first sight.

For this perfect coffee combination, you will need instant espresso powder and strong brewed coffee for the cake mix. Additions like vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon will also complement the coffee flavor.

For the gorgeous mocha buttercream, heavy cream, coffee, and cocoa powder will give you the delicious desired results.

You can try this recipe out with your favorite coffee brands and discover the best blends to suit your tastes. This recipe is destined to liven up your coffee breaks.

Cupcake style!

18- S’mores Cupcakes

Wondering how to make cupcakes even yummier? Top them with a mouthwatering marshmallow frosting! The moist chocolate cake, crumbly crust, and airy topping in this recipe create s’mores cupcakes to die for.

A graham cracker crust makes a beautiful base. For the cake mix, some Hershey’s dark cocoa powder brings chocolatey goodness and a bit of buttermilk adds moistness.

The meringue marshmallow frosting just requires whisking up some egg whites, sugar, cream of tater, and vanilla extract.

Finish these scrumptious s’mores cupcakes with some chocolate sauce and some cracker crumbs. Sinfully satisfying and impossible to resist!

19- Ultimate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

A fluffy cake and salted caramel frosting? Tasty enough, but want to know how it can get better? By adding a salted caramel center to the cakes!

The cake mix needs full-fat sour cream, whole milk, and brown sugar for a moist and flavorful sponge.

Oh, and don’t forget a teaspoon of salt!

If opting for the caramel center, after the cakes are baked, just dig out a little whole and fill it with a caramel sauce of your choosing. As for the frosting, salt is added to a sweet mix of brown sugar and heavy cream.

Once assembled, you’ll have a rich and salted caramel cupcake with an ideally indulgent flavor everyone will adore.

20- Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

Meet the best chocolate cupcake recipe of all chocolate cupcake recipes. Decadent and delicious, these molten chocolate cupcakes are all you could ask for to satisfy those chocolate cravings.

Create a chocolate mixture by melting chocolate chips into heated whipping cream. The cake batter itself uses a chocolate fudge instant pudding mix for an intense chocolate flavor.

To achieve the molten center, just spoon a tablespoon of cold chocolate mixture into the cake batter before baking. Simple!

Serve this divinely chocolatey cupcake with a chocolate frosting and enjoy your heavenly handful.

21- Ultimate Marble Cupcakes

If you’re the type of person that likes to enjoy the best of both worlds, this ultimate marble cupcake recipe is the one for you.

It combines chocolate and vanilla flavors in a moreish marbled cake and frosting.

There is no need to make two cake batters, simply separate a vanilla batter and add some cocoa powder to one half. Then just swirl the halves together again before baking to create a marbled cake effect.

As for the frostings, you do need to make two of these. One vanilla and one chocolate.

These can be smeared directly on the cupcake in any design you like or added to a piping bag and piped into a marbled swirl.

These cupcakes look and taste amazing. Who said you couldn’t have everything?

22- Apple Spice Cupcakes

Do you like a little spice in your life? These apple spice cupcakes are just what you need.

A balanced blend of spices in the cake complement the apple flavor and a salted caramel frosting provides the perfect finish.

Finely chopped apple is folded into a cake mix seasoned with the warm and comforting spices of ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

The salted caramel frosting is a simple brown sugar and heavy cream combination.

You can try different frostings such as peanut butter or cream cheese frosting too if you want to change things up.

Whatever frosting you opt for, you’re certain to love these fun and flavorful cupcakes!

23- Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

As lovely as vanilla cupcakes are, adding some extra flavors or textures to a vanilla cupcake recipe can provide some tasty alternatives.

The extra flavor in this elegantly easy recipe is almond.

The light and fluffy cake mix need both vanilla and almond extracts. Also, almond milk and unsweetened vanilla are used to achieve the perfect balance of the two flavors.

These ingredients are also added to butter and sugar to create a sumptuously smooth frosting.

Easy cupcake recipes don’t get much more scrumptious than this. No hassle and lots of light and yummy flavor. Perfect!

24- Cheese Cupcakes

A savory cupcake? Really? Don’t worry! What these cupcakes lack in sugar and frosting they more than makeup for in crumbly, cheesy goodness. An ideal savory snack.

Unsurprisingly, cheese plays an important role on the ingredients list.

A quick-melt cheese like Velveeta or Eden is combined with flour butter, egg, and condensed milk to create a buttery, baked crumb cake.

Sprinkle your favorite cheese on top too for an extra layer of moreishness.

Once baked, you have a cupcake you can enjoy at breakfast or as a scrummy snack. More cheese, please!

25- Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes

This yummy cupcake recipe offers another great vanilla flavor combination. This time it’s cherry that provides a sweet pairing to vanilla.

You will need maraschino cherry juice to add to both the cake mix and the frosting. Vanilla and almond extract are also used for a beautiful flavor balance.

This cupcake can be decorated with a maraschino cherry for a bright and beautiful finish.

These sweet and sassy cupcakes taste delicious and are so simple to make they will become a firm fixture on your easy cupcake recipes list.

26- Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes

Sometimes dietary requirements can restrict you from enjoying the simple pleasures of a sweet dessert. Not in this case! If gluten is something you need to avoid, you’re in luck!

This recipe loses the gluten but none of the wonderful tastes and textures of a vanilla cupcake.

You’re going to need a gluten-free flour blend to substitute for regular baking flour. Other than that it is a fairly standard cake mix using milk, sugar, and, in this case, gluten-free vanilla extract.

The only substitute in the mix of butter, sugar, and milk for the frosting is the gluten-free vanilla extract.

Just a few adjustments and some careful measurements allow you to create a vanilla cupcake everyone can enjoy, no matter their gluten tolerance. Yum!

27- Bake-Sale Pie Cupcakes

Do you like the sound of cupcakes that look as amazing as they taste? These bake-sale pie cupcakes definitely fit that description.

The decoration in this recipe creates cupcakes that look like little blueberry or cherry pies.

In actuality, the fruit is actually red or blue candy, such as M&M’s or Jelly Bellies placed on top of a simple vanilla cupcake.

The pie pastry is a vanilla frosting tinted with yellow food coloring and piped onto the cupcake to look like a latticed pie crust.

These delightfully detailed cupcakes are surprisingly simple to make and a fun and yummy addition to any bake sale.

28- Pina Colada Cupcakes

Do you like pina colada, and getting caught in the rain? Well, this cupcake recipe can help you with the first part.

These cupcakes are bursting with the pineapple and coconut flavors everyone loves from the classic drink.

The moist and fluffy cake mix will need some coconut milk, canned crushed pineapple, coconut extract, and pineapple juice from the can.

The pina colada cake is then topped with a coconut buttercream frosting. You can then top the cupcakes with shredded coconut, pineapple wedges, maraschino cherries, or even little cocktail umbrellas.

These fresh and fun cupcakes are perfect for a summer party. In fact, any party will be a good excuse to bake a batch!

29- White Wedding Cake Cupcakes

These white wedding cake cupcakes are beautiful and easy to make. The moist cake, topped with white buttercream is a classy and delicious way to enjoy an individual dessert.

The simple cake batter uses a box of white cake mix, with some sour cream and oil added to help make the cake light and fluffy.

It is flavored with a vanilla extract, as is the straightforward buttercream mix of heavy whipping cream, butter, and sugar.

Decorated with some cougar pearls, these cupcakes will be a gorgeous addition to any celebration, wedding, or otherwise.