Our Favorite Showstopping Cupcakes

Whether you're sweet on citrus, a chocolate lover, coffee addict or you're crazy about bacon, we've collected our most decadent and showstopping cupcake recipes for you to enjoy. Go ahead and take an indulgent bite—you deserve it!

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Pecan pie is the quintessential dessert of fall. Crunchy toasted pecans and buttery Piecrust Leaves enhance the rich, creamy frosting for a cupcake you'll make again and again.

 

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple and caramel are simple ingredients, but when combined they form a delectable treat. Top off these cupcakes with toasted pecans to create a traditional fall favorite. We love to add the tiny crab apples as a garnish for extra-special occasions.

 

Cupcake Recipes: Fresh Citrus Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Fresh Citrus Cupcakes

Sweet citrus flavor is packed into each bite of this Orange Buttercream-topped cake. These fruity cupcakes are refreshing yet rich.

 

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

This cupcake is without a doubt most men's favorite. Bite into these cupcakes and you'll taste the flavor you get when bacon mingles with syrup while eating pancakes. It's a wonderful salty-sweet combination you won't want to miss.

 

Cupcake Recipes: Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies

This cupcake version of a chocolate-key lime pie is an ideal pick-up dessert for entertaining. Make a crumb crust with chocolate wafers and top with a sweet cream cheese mixture with fresh key lime juice. Try cupcake pies with sweetened whipped cream, fresh cherries, blackberries, and mint leaves.

Cupcake Recipes: Cappuccino Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Cappuccino Cupcakes

Double Shot Latte Buttercream dresses up this vanilla cupcake with its creamy coffee flavor. To create a full-out coffee shop delicacy, sprinkle the icing with instant espresso and ground cinnamon and top it off with a chocolate-covered coffee bean.

Cupcake Recipes: Lemonade Cupcakes

Lemonade Cupcakes

Kids (and kids at heart) will love these simple-to-prepare lemon cupcakes. Decorate them with colorful candies, sugars, and sprinkles to add to their spring-like flair.

Cupcake Recipes: Chocolate-Peppermint Candy Cupcakes

Chocolate-Peppermint Candy Cupcakes

Dress up classic cupcakes by adding chopped pieces of homemade white chocolate-peppermint bark. The combination of chocolate, vanilla, and peppermint is always a crowd pleaser.

Cupcake Recipes: Lemon Curd-Filled Angel Food Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Lemon Curd-Filled Angel Food Cupcakes

These citrus-flavored cupcakes are filled with a light and creamy Lemon Curd Filling and topped with Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish with lemon slices and lavender sprigs.

 

Cupcake Recipes: Salted Caramel-Chocolate Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Salted Caramel-Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes may well be the ultimate in cupcake decadence with cream cheese and butter in the cake batter, a chocolate toppping, and then a caramel-cream cheese frosting with flaked salt. You'll see that salt really does bring out the flavor of the sweet.

Cupcake Recipes: Mocha Latte Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Mocha Latte Cupcakes

Espresso-infused buttercream combines forces with dark chocolate cake for a perfect coffee-chocolate flavor. Garnish with chocolate shavings for a top-to-bottom chocolate experience in each bite.

Cupcake Recipes: Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Van Chaplin

Sweet Potato-Pecan Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

Rich spices complement the sweet potato flavor in these cupcakes for grown-ups. With the decadent cake batter and Cream Cheese Frosting, you’ll forget there’s technically a veggie in the mix.

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes

Here's a cupcake version of the classic Southern chocolate sheetcake that's filled with marshmellows and chopped pecans and topped with a rich chocolate frosting.

Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting

Make birds' nests with malted milk balls and edible paper; wilton.com

 

Cupcake Recipes: Vanilla-Stuffed Strawberry Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Vanilla-Stuffed Strawberry Cupcakes

Angel food cake mix is easy to prepare for these cupcakes and leaves plenty of time to make the Vanilla Bean Custard filling from scratch (the delicate flavor is well worth the little bit of effort!). The cake and custard are the perfect complement to juicy summer strawberries. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

First Kiss Cupcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

First Kiss Cupcakes

As sweet as love's first kiss, our chocolate and cherry cupcake is special. One bite and you'll fall in love, all with a cherry on top!

 

Cupcake Recipes: Cupcakes With Browned Butter Frosting

Cupcakes With Browned Butter Frosting

These beautiful treats start out with a pound cake mix, so they are a snap to prepare! For a cheerful, bakery-like touch, garnish the cakes with fresh mint leaves and edible violas.

Cupcake Recipes: Bite-Size Sour Cream-Pound Cake Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Bite-Size Sour Cream-Pound Cake Cupcakes

This basic cake batter makes a tasty vanilla cupcake or can serve as the base for citrus, caramel, and mocha latte cupcake flavors. We like these cupcakes spread with rich Vanilla Buttercream on top. Serve them in decorative liners, such as these colorful fluted flower cups from bakeitpretty.com.

Old-Fashioned Caramel Cupcakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Old-Fashioned Caramel Cupcakes

Old-Fashioned Caramel is a cupcake that can't be rushed. It's a true labor of love. The caramel has to cool for a while before you can make the frosting, and then you need to use the frosting right away. If the frosting gets too thick to spread, add just a little cream or milk to make it spreadable. But rest assured—It is definitely worth the effort.

 

Coconut Cupcakes

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Coconut Cupcakes

Dress up basic white cupcakes with a Coconut Buttercream and sweetened flaked coconut. So simple, but so delicious too!

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